House The Homeless, Inc. P.O. Box 2312 Austin, TX 78768-2312 (512) 796-4366 info@housethehomeless.org Austin's Housing Being Bulldozed! This property was sold by the Resolution Trust Corporation in 1991 with Land Use Restriction Agreement in place. This restriction preserved 35% of the housing for low-income Austinites until the year 2015. However in 1998, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, TDHCA, recommended that the FDIC release the land use restriction. TDHCA based this recommendation on a non-specific in-house inspection that stated that "there are project conditions which support a finding of obsolescence, and that it is not economically feasible to rehabilitate the existing structures." (There was NO analysis of the cost of repairs done) Additionally, the property remained fully occupied for at least a year after the internal inspection done by TDHCA stating that the property was uninhabitable. The recommendation for release of the restriction was based solely upon TDHCA employee Mr. Cunningham at the request of Embrey Partners, the company which had already entered into an agreement to purchase River Woods with the intent of developing high-end apartments (amazing!). Not a single housing code violation has ever been reported at River Woods since it was purchased in 1991. The property is now in the hands of Trammel Crow who has no intention of honoring the 35% low-income set aside. TDHCA must reverse this chain of events. As a matter of due process, the tenants and other interested parties must have input regarding the rent restrictions. On Friday September 17th, Legal Aid of Central Texas representing Mr. James Patterson, secured a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO), in state court, temporarily stopping the eviction giving us that opportunity. WE SAY- STOP ALL EVICTIONS! STOP THE DEMOLITION OF THESE BEAUTIFUL APARTMENTS AND LIVE OAKS! GET AN INDEPENDENT INSPECTION AND COST ANALYSIS OF REPAIRS! ALLOW MR. PATTERSON AND OTHER TENANTS AT RIVER WOODS TO REVIEW AND COMMENT ON TDHCA's INSPECTION AND FINANCIAL FEASIBILITY REPORT! STOP THE LOSS OF THE 35% LOW-INCOME SET ASIDE!   PREVENT HOMELESSNESS BEFORE IT STARTS! SAVE THE BEST OF SOUTH AUSTIN!!!! VIEW ASSOCIATED ARTICLES FROM LOCAL PRESS    VIEW ASSOCIATED ARTICLES FROM LOCAL PRESS