Texas Border Business
McALLEN – As the school year comes to an end, 11 McAllen graduates embark on their next journey with inspiring words from McAllen City Manager Roy Rodriguez to guide them.
The McAllen Housing Authority hosted an annual dinner at the DoubleTree Suites for its recent graduates who are currently living in public housing with hopes of moving on to bigger and better things.
“Every year we tend to feature a guest speaker that lived in public housing. We do it, this way students can see it doesn’t matter if you come from housing, you can still be successful in life,” said Resident Service Manager, Margot Elizondo.
Growing up, Rodriguez lived in public housing and now holds the top position within the City but says his background was never something that was going to keep him from his achievements.
“I want people to know that we have great kids all over the city including these kids that live in the McAllen Housing Authority and if it weren’t for that, they may not have a home to live in,” Rodriguez said. “I’m honored to speak to these wonderful young adults because we have so much in common.”
Each of the students who attended the dinner was asked to write a letter highlighting their accomplishments and expectations for life after high school. While some individuals will attend a university away from home such as Texas A&M, others will enroll at South Texas College.
Regardless of their chosen path, the 2015 graduates have garnered the knowledge and insight of someone with a similar experience, placing them on the road to success.
The Housing Authority was established in July 1939. It currently serves 138 families in public housing on three separate developments.
Public Housing families qualify for assistance if they are 30% below the Area Medium Household Income as designated by HUD for the Mission-McAllen-Edinburg area. The Housing Authority serves 1,259 families in the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. This program assists families with rent payment in housing they choose within the community of McAllen. The program injects $5.5 million of revenue into the McAllen economy. The 1,259 families assisted equals to 3,125 household members.
