By Karen Gleason
The 830 Times
Work done by the Housing Authority of the City of Del Rio over the past year has earned the organization several national awards.
Del Rio Mayor Bruno “Ralphy” Lozano recognized the housing authority’s work during Tuesday’s meeting of the Del Rio City Council.
Lozano said the housing authority in 2021 received four awards from the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) in several categories, including setting up onsite English as a Second Language (ESL) and GED classes, providing free income tax preparation assistance, building school bus shelters and improving the condition of residents’ living units by converting them through the Rental Assistance Demonstration program.
The housing authority also recently partnered with United Medical Centers to offer COVID-19 and flu vaccines to residents, part of an initiative by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“Please join me in giving a round of applause to our housing authority, which during the COVID pandemic was able to provide for our community and those in need,” Lozano said.
The mayor also noted there are now some vacancies in housing authority properties.
“That means that this group is so successful in encouraging people to stand on their own two feet that we actually have vacancies during COVID-19, which is just unheard-of in many municipalities across the country,” Lozano added.
“Not only that, but they have some very forward-thinking ideas that are being recognized on the national level. This is coming from the city of Del Rio, Texas, so we have much to be thankful for, and we have much talent to showcase to the rest of the country about how things can be done, especially during a health and an economic crisis,” Lozano said.
After the presentation of the award, Isidro Valdez Fernandez, housing authority executive director, thanked the mayor on behalf of the housing authority’s board of commissioners and staff members.
“This is a group effort. We are a team, and we work very hard to serve the community. These are examples of the staff and commissioners working together on many different projects,” Valdez said.
He said the vacancies at the housing authority showcase the organization’s mission statement, “To provide inclusive affordable housing opportunities for the low income individuals of Del Rio, Texas, building a platform for improving quality of life and achieving self-sufficiency.”
“Thank you to you, the city and the community for the support,” Valdez added.
Abram Rodriguez, the chairman of the housing authority’s board of commissioners, also thanked the city for its ongoing support. He said Valdez and the housing authority staff are to be commended “for making things happen on a day-to-day basis.”
“Isidro and his staff do a phenomenal job,” Rodriguez said.
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