Texas Civil Rights Project Awarded $60,000 Fellowship

Fellow to direct South Texas Colonia Consumer Rights Project

Austin - The Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) will host a colonia rights education fellow at its South Texas office for the next two years, thanks to a $60,000 grant by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association (NLADA) and the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC).

The two-year grant will allow TCRP to expand its South Texas Colonia Consumer Rights Project which assists Valley residents with fair housing, deceptive loan practices, and other consumer law issues, especially the rights of colonia residents, who are forced to live on underdeveloped and unincorporated land that is often without necessary utilities such as paved roads, electricity and water.

"Now TCRP can reach out and assist even more consumers who are forced to live in sub-standard condition in the Valley's colonias," said Jim Harrington, director of the Texas Civil Rights Project.

The South Texas Colonia Consumer Rights Project has several components: educating colonia residents about the laws that protect their interests; investigating disreputable developers that take advantage of colonia residents; and litigation of such cases. The program also includes a property rights task force and teaches colonia residents how to do community organizing to effect changes.

TCRP was one of just eight organizations nationwide chosen for this honor, among over 100 applicants. The money for this fellowship will come from the settlement of a consumer class action lawsuit. TCRP plans to use the two-year fellowship to develop an on-going consumer rights attorney position after the fellowship ends. The fellow will work out of TCRP's South Texas office in San Juan, near McAllen.

The Texas Civil Rights Project promotes racial, social and economic justice through education and litigation.