ANOTHER Subsidized Housing Project for Liberty Hill
To Liberty Hill Residents,
There is a new 2009 TDHCA application by the Texas Housing Foundation (Mark Mayfield of Marble Falls) for the second phase of the subsidized housing project across from the elementary school on Loop 332. This new phase will also include 76 new units, which will be in addition to the 76 units previously approved. The "address" of the new San Gabriel Crossing application for additional projects is 155 Hillcrest and includes 6 additional acres. If approved, the total current construction request would include 152 units and 13 acres for the subsidized housing project.
(The request for 6 acres is interesting, especially since, the City Council previously required the Texas Housing Foundation to purchase 7 acres per 76 units based on a less dense zoning unit than the THF/Mayfield had requested.)
If the request for the third phase of the housing project were to be equivalent to the previous two phases, it would result in a total of approximately 228 units on roughly 19-20 acres in the center of Liberty Hill. We can all understand the change in our local, rural demographics due to the influx of such a large number of people from outside of Liberty Hill into such a concentrated area ... people in need with no existing infrastructure by which to support them.
Political officials are important in the selection process for the competitive funding for this housing project. Their approval (or disapproval) is counted during the "point scoring" process and can determine whether the housing project funding is awarded or denied. Additionally, the local city government and the local school district can also contribute to the competitive score by supporting (or not supporting) the housing project. Below is a list of political officials who are involved in the approval (or disapproval) process:
US Senator Hutchison 512-916-5834
US Senator Cornyn 512-469-6034
Governor Rick Perry 512-463-2000
Congressman John Carter 512-246-1600
Senator Steve Ogden 512-463-0105
Representative Dan Gattis 512-463-0309
Liberty Hill City Council 512-778-5449
Liberty Hill Independent School District 512-260-5580
Comment and copy to:
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs
Email to: sharon.gamble@tdhca.state.tx.us
Fax to: (512) 475-0764
Neighborhood associations can have a dramatic impact if they submit opposition letters or comments against a housing project in their area. Comments by the general public against the housing project will also deduct points from the application's competitive score. This is the reason why the Texas Housing Foundation and Mark Mayfield work so hard to prevent the public from finding out about the new proposed subsidized housing project application.
The Liberty Hill City Council rushed through the design plans for the first phase of the facility in the spring of 2008 at Mayfield's request. (Unlike the other members of the City Council, Harkrider and Gavin refused to be railroaded by this special interest group and voted against "rubber stamping" the plans without the proper review.) Although the developers receive millions of dollars (including a Developer's Fee of $955,200 for just the first phase alone), Mayfield claimed he wouldn't be able to put in a simple playground for the children at this multi-acre project.
There is truly a need to help the less fortunate members in our society, but not by lining the pockets of greedy developers. At the TDHCA public hearing, members of communities who were truly in need were denied funding. Yet, the Texas Housing Foundation received funding worth millions of dollars for the San Gabriel Crossing, even though Liberty Hill (census tract 48491020301) DOES NOT QUALIFY for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits because it did not meet the statutory ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA. http://qct.huduser.org/QCTGIS/USMainLand/Map.aspx
Subsidization of housing projects should be about the needy, not about the greedy ... and we don't need it in Liberty Hill, even by HUD standards.
Thank you for your support.
LH RESIDENTS FOR RESPONSIBLE GROWTH
_________________________________________________
If you are also opposed to the actions taken by the Liberty Hill City Council and the Williamson County Commissioners Court that threaten responsible growth of Liberty Hill, and if you want to make sure that the future growth of this community is managed in a responsible manner, please join other like-minded Liberty Hill residents and join our group. To do this, just Click the FEEDBACK button and send us your name and e-mail address. We will keep you informed about important issues affecting the growth of our community.
And please-- SPREAD THE WORD! Tell all of your Liberty Hill friends and neighbors about this group so we can help protect this special way of life we have all come to enjoy.