INDEPTH
INDEPTH LOOK AT EXPLOSIVE GROWTH IN CENTRAL TEXAS.. AND A BIG CONCERN CONNECTED TO
GROWTH-- IS THE
LOSS OF HISTORIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
THERE'S NO QUESTION EAST AUSTIN
HAS CHANGED QUITE A
BIT OVER THE YEARS.
BUT AMIDST THE CHANGES -- AT
LEAST ONE PLACE CONTINUES TO
STAND AS A PILLAR OF AUSTIN
THROUGH THE DECADES.
AS KVUE'S KALYN NORWOOD SHOWS US
-- HUSTON TILLOTSON
UNIVERSITY IS TEAMING UP WITH
ORGANIZATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY
TO
HELP PRESERVE WHAT'S LEFT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FROM EAST
AUSTIN TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE.
17:53:06 WHEN I MOVED HERE
WASN'T ANYBODY OUT
OF HERE. IT WAS LIKE SIX HOUSES
IN THE WHOLE AREA.
THE DIFFERENCE A FEW YEARS CAN
MAKE.
17:57:16 I GET THESE LITTLE
LETTERS IN THE MAIL SAID I
WANT TO BUY YOUR HOUSE, YOU
KNOW.
A ONCE THRIVING, HISTORICALLY
BLACK
COMMUNITY IS FADING AWAY.
OLD HOMES SOLD AND GUTTED TO
BE REPLACED BY
BRAND NEW ONES.
AND HOMEOWNERS LIKE RONALD FORD
WHO'VE
LIVED HERE FOR NEARLY 40 YEARS
AREN'T LOOKING TO
LEAVE ANYTIME SOON.
17:55:24 IT'S LIKE A FAMILY
BECAUSE WHEN THERE'S RICH
HISTORY ALL AROUND
YOU.YOU DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO
HOLD ON TO IT.
NATS TYPING
THAT'S SOMETHING DOCTOR COLETTE
PIERCE
BURNETTE IS WORKING TO DO.
09:41:35 "PEOPLE TELL ME YOU
KNOW EAST AUSTIN IT'S A
LOST CAUSE THAT'S NOT TRUE
THAT'S NOT REAL.
BURNETTE IS THE PRESIDENT AND
CEO OF HUSTON
TILLOTSON UNIVERSITY, THE ONLY
HISTORICALLY
BLACK UNIVERSITY IN AUSTIN.
SHE'S THE FIRST
FEMALE TO HOLD THE TITLE SINCE
TWO COLLEGES -- SAMUEL
HUSTON AND TILLOTSON COLLEGE --
COMBINED IN
1952. AND TOGETHER THE
INSTITUTIONS HAVE SAT IN THE
HEART OF EAST AUSTIN FOR MORE
THAN 150 YEARS.
09:44:56 "WHEN OUR FOUNDERS CAME
TO FIND A LOCATION TO
START A BLACK COLLEGE BLUEBONNET
HILL WAS
CHEAP.. NOW WE HAVE A BIRD'S EYE
VIEW OF THE CAPITAL.
WE HAVE BEAUTIFUL VIEW OF
DOWNTOWN. WE SIT ON VERY
VALUABLE PROPERTY AND IT'S OUR
JOB, OUR ROLE TO
DEVELOP THAT PROPERTY IN LINE
WITH THE MISSION OF THE
INSTITUTION."
AND THAT MISSION INCLUDES KEEP A
VALUABLE
PART OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY --
EAST AUSTIN INTACT.
09:40:37 "IF WE SIT BACK AND LET
IT HAPPEN TO US, IT WILL
CONTINUE TO HAPPEN TO US."
SHE'S DOING THIS WITH THE HELP
OF HER TEAM AT HUSTON
TILLOTSON.
11:06:35 YOU CAN SEE THE
DISPLACEMENT IN ACTION ON
MANY OF THESE STREETS IN EAST
AUSTIN.
I MET UP WITH AMANDA MASINO, AN
H-T PROFESSOR AND
CO-FOUNDER OF THE NONPROFIT
AUSTIN COMMUNITY
DATA COALITION.
WE WALKED THE STREETS OF THIS
HOLLY NEIGHBORHOOD
IN EAST AUSTIN.
AND HERE, YOU CAN SEE THE
EFFECTS OF AUSTIN'S RAPID
GROWTH.
11:06:23 WE'RE WALKING RIGHT BY
AN EMPTY LOT, WHICH IF
YOU LOOK UP ON GOOGLE MAPS,
THERE WAS A HOME HERE NOT
TOO LONG AGO, WHICH WAS TORN
DOWN SO THIS IS PRETTY
COMMON.
60 YEAR OLD HOMES TORN DOWN TO
MAKE ROOM FOR NEW
CONSTRUCTION.
MASINO WILL TELL YOU FAMILIES
HAVE EITHER BEEN
PRICED OUT OR OFFERED BIG MONEY
TO LEAVE.
THAT'S GENTRIFICATION.
AND, SHE SAYS THERE ARE SEVERAL
ORGANIZATIONS
WORKING TOGETHER TO FIX THE
PROBLEM.
11:11:55 WHAT WAS THE BIG
CONCERN MOST OF THESE
FAMILIES THESE HOMEOWNERS HAD TO
BEGIN WITH IN
REGARDS TO REPAIRS? A LOT OF THE
REPAIRS WERE
EXTERIOR. SO THEY MIGHT HAVE
CRACKED SIDEWALKS
MISSING OR DAMAGED RAMPS OR
STAIRS.
FOUNDATION ISSUES.
THE AUSTIN HOUSING REPAIR
COALITION WHICH
INCLUDES NONPROFITS LIKE
EASTERSEALS AND AUSTIN HABITAT
-- PROVIDES HOUSING
REPAIRS FOR LOW INCOME
HOMEOWNERS FREE OF
CHARGE.HOPING IT HELPS FAMILIES
STAY HERE.
18:21:41 NATS WATER DRIPPING
17:59:50 IT STARTED WITH THE
WATER COMING IN MY
HOUSE. ROOF NEED FIXING, THE
FENCE NEEDED FIXING.
ARMY VETERAN RONALD FORD IS
AMONG THOSE THE COALITION
IS HELPING.
NOW HE HAS A BRAND NEW CAR PORT
TO REPLACE HIS
LEAKY ONE AND WOOD FLOORING.
INSTEAD OF OLD
CARPET.
AND IN HIS BACKYARD?
18:20:13 NATS WALKING
NEW GRAVEL AND A RETAINING WALL
REPLACED HIS GRASS... TO
PREVENT ANY FLOODING AFTER A
RAINY DAY.
18:17:02 I FEEL A LITTLE
DIFFERENT NOW I CAN'T WAIT FOR
IT TO RAIN
THAT'S AN ESTIMATED 20- THOUSAND
DOLLARS
WORTH OF REPAIRS DONE TO HIS
HOME THANKS TO
LOCAL NONPROFITS.
THE COALITION HAS HELPED MORE
THAN 300 FAMILIES LIKE
HIS IN EAST AUSTIN.
BUT HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THEY IN
THEIR GOAL.
THAT'S WHERE HUSTON TILLOTSON
STEPS IN.
MASINO SAYS THEY SURVEYED
FAMILIES WHO HAD THEIR
HOMES REPAIRED BY THE A-H-R-C.
11:11:37 YEAH THEY WERE VERY
SATISFIED
SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRAM, SATISFIED WITH THE QUALITY OF THE REPAIR.
ACCORDING TO THE SURVEY -- 97
PERCENT OF FAMILIES SAID IT
HELPED THEM AFFORD TO STAY IN
THEIR HOME.
11:13:46 THAT'S 331 PEOPLE PLUS,
WHO ARE BETTER ABLE TO
STAY IN PLACE AND HAVE A GOOD
LIFE IN THEIR HOMES,
THANKS TO THESE REPAIRS.
09:46:33 "AUSTIN COULD BE A ROLE
MODEL CITY FOR
REVITALIZATION REALLY MEANS WHEN
IT COMES TO EQUITY FOR
ALL PEOPLE."
THIS IS JUST PART OF BURNETTE'S
GOAL TO
PRESERVE AND REVITALIZE THE
SURROUNDING COMMUNITY.
AND JUST MAYBE WITH HELP FROM
H-T AND
NONPROFITS-- PEOPLE FROM EAST
AUSTIN CAN STAY A LITTLE LONGER.
19:00:21 I AM SO PROUD OF MY
HOUSE I DON'T EVEN WANT TO LEAVE
IT NOW.
AND THE NEXT GENERATION CAN CALL
EAST
EAST AUSTIN HOME TOO. KALYN NORWOOD, KVUE NEWS.
FOR
FOR WAYS
FOR WAYS YOU CAN GET HELP WITH YOUR HOME OR GET INVOLVED WITH HUSTON-
TILLITSON'S PROGRAM-- JUST
LOOK FOR THIS STORY ON OUR
WEBSITE KVUE -DOT- COM.