Blackland Community Development Corporation

Our mission is to foster a safe, inclusive community that strives for social equality by preserving and enhancing the stock of affordable housing and providing supportive programs for Blackland (in East Austin) residents.

Description:
Located in the East Austin neighborhood of Blackland, we provide affordable rental housing to low-income households and provide transitional housing and case management services to homeless and near-homeless households. We create innovative, environmentally friendly, and socially responsible housing.

Blackland is very proud of our transitional housing program, which provides housing for homeless and near-homeless families in the historic Blackland neighborhood. We provide these families with twelve months in a supportive environment consisting of case management support and affordable rents, allowing them time to focus on improving their life situation. 70% of our clients to leave having secured affordable and stable housing and meeting most of their case management goals.
Blackland additionally provides housing to families with minor children at or below 60% of Austin’ median family income that do not require case management services. Rental rates depend on income and type of house.

History:
The Blackland Community Development Corporation (BCDC) was incorporated in August 1983 as a non-profit, 501-C-3 corporation in the State of Texas. The boundaries are defined as Comal Street on the west, Chestnut Street on the east, MLK Boulevard on the south, and Manor Road on the north.

Blackland, like most communities in East Austin, had generally been plagued by disinvestment and predatory real estate speculation. Blackland’s situation was worsened by ever-pending eastward annexations by the University of Texas at Austin. The combination of these factors created blighted housing conditions where rent was cheap but housing quality was very poor.

In 1980, the UT Administration began a sixth annexation that was intended to take all land to Chicon Street, one-half of the Blackland Neighborhood. The Blackland Neighborhood Association struggled for 12 years before agreeing to a compromise whereby UT would cease all purchases east of Leona Street. During that battle, one of the strategies that the neighborhood conceived and executed was to become an active developer to end blighted conditions and annexations. BCDC was created to do this and has since purchased and maintained housing for low income families and special populations. Nine of the non-profit’s 35 units are reserved for transitional families – formerly homeless families similar to those evicted by UT purchases in the 1980s; six units are for elderly; and two are for adults with mental and/or physical disabilities.

Contact people:

Isabelle Headrick, Executive Director, (512) 972-5796, (email) Pam Johnson, Program Coordinator, (512) 972-5795, (email)

Office fax number: (512) 494-0434

Address:

2005 Salina Street Austin, TX 78722 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.blacklandcdc.org

Directions:

Take MLK Blvd east from I-35 to Salina Street. Make a left (north) onto Salina. Go 1.5 blocks. The offices are located inside the Blackland Neighborhood Center, a tan brick, one-story building. Parking is available in front.   Nearest Bus Stop: 20/21 on 21st and Chicon, 2 minute walk For maps or information, please see http://www.capmetro.org/riding/trip_info.asp

Last updated on September 16, 2009