Promoting the Modern Lingua Franca among Austin’s Low-Income Residents

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Publisher: UT Austin: HDO  Imagine, for a moment, that you’ve been dropped into a foreign country with absolutely no grasp of the local language or customs. You look around, cautiously observing the unusual. You want to take advantage of this unexpected situation, but you don’t have the tools or knowledge to make the most of the experience. Now, imagine being surrounded by a progressively tech-dominated society, but feeling isolated and excluded because of your lack of digital know-how. Technology may ... Read More

Digital Inclusion Initiative Update

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Publisher: John Speirs, Office of Telecommunications & Regulatory AffairsThis memo provides an update on implementation of the Digital Inclusion Initiative Strategic Plan and supporting programs funded by the Grant for Technology Opportunities Program (GTOPs). The Digital Inclusion Steering Committee | Providing Direction for the Strategic Plan The community-wide effort to support digital inclusion in Austin, Texas is an engaging and collaborative initiative. The Austin City Council reaffirmed its support when it approved the Digital Inclusion Strategic Plan on November 20, ... Read More

About the National Housing Conference

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Publisher:The National Housing Conference represents a diverse membership of housing stakeholders including tenant advocates, mortgage bankers, non-profit and for-profit home builders, property managers, policy practitioners, real estate professionals, equity investors, and more, all of whom share a commitment to safe, decent and affordable housing for all in America. We are the nation’s oldest housing advocacy organization, dedicated to the affordable housing mission since our founding in 1931. As a nonpartisan, 501(c) 3 nonprofit, we are a research and education resource ... Read More

Austin a Tech Mentor

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Publisher:Earlier this month, President Barack Obama and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a new pilot program meant to close the gap between those online and those left out when it comes to Internet access, largely due to expense. The plan, called ConnectHome, attempts to deliver high-speed, affordable broadband to low-income public housing residents. Supported by corporations, nonprofits, and local governments, the initiative is slated to launch in 28 communities across the nation and reach 200,000 households. "Just because you don't have ... Read More

U.S. Program Will Connect Public Housing Residents to Web

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Publisher:The Obama administration on Wednesday announced a program to connect thousands of public housing residents across the nation to the Internet at low prices or free, part of a broader effort to close the so-called digital divide and help low-income Americans succeed in a technology-driven society. Read More

Google offers free Fiber internet in public housing

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Publisher: FortuneGoogle will bring free high-speed internet to public housing projects in select cities, as part of a larger initiative by the Obama Administration to ensure low-income Americans are not left behind in an era when more and more everyday tasks require getting online. “Today, in all of our Google Fiber markets, we’re launching a program to connect residents in select public and affordable housing properties for $0/month with no installation fee,” Google announced on its Fiber blog. Read More

Austin Pathways Raises Over $17K During Amplify Austin

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Austin Pathways raised about $17,000 during this year’s 24-hour Amplify Austin Day of giving March 5-6, tripling last year’s total of $5,375. One hundred percent of the funds, which were generously donated by 146 donors consisting of individuals, community partners and local businesses,  provide support for programs like the Housing Authority of the City of Austin’s annual scholarship program and the Family Self-Sufficiency program for public and affordable housing residents, addressing critical services like transportation and childcare assistance. Thank you to everyone who donated, participated in fundraising … Read More

Unlocking the Connection for Austin’s public housing residents

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Publisher: Google FiberFor Austin's public housing residents, access to the Internet can mean the difference between keeping up or falling behind. It can mean more resident children using computers in after-school programs and robotics clubs, more students using a home computer to finish their homework as their peers do, more working adults completing online GED training modules at home, and more seniors participating in basic computer skills workshops. Read More

Henry Flores Education and Training Center (ETC) Grand Opening

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A date for the grand opening celebration of the Henry Flores Education and Training Center has been set! On November 6th at 11am, HACA staff and honored guests will be on hand to see the state-of-the-art ETC at Meadowbrook Apartments. More details will be forthcoming but if you’d like to volunteer for the event, make arrangements to be available on November 6th!

Austin Pathways Receives a Grant to Bridge the Public Housing Digital Divide

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The Ford Foundation has granted $150,000 to support Austin Pathways’ vision of bridging the digital divide to our public housing families. This one-year grant will help Austin Pathways bring broadband Internet access, digital literacy training, and devices into the lives of the people we serve. The grant will go a long way towards the agency’s goal of providing ultra high-speed Internet access at all of its public housing properties.