At an Austin Interfaith assembly held last month, residents of the Heights On Congress apartments told stories about their concerns with relocation now that the property owner is seeking permission to rezone. The children of those residents belong to Travis Heights Elementary School, whose PTA reached out to Austin Interfaith for help in developing a plan with the owner and developer that will serve the interests of the residents and their children. At the assembly, they secured the support of the Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo and AISD trustees. In photo are local leaders Angie Gonzalez of the Oak Creek Village Tenants' Association and Rev. Brian Ferguson of Wildflower Church.

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When Torchy's Tacos re-submitted a two-year old bid to sell alcohol within 300 feet of Fulmore Middle School, they forgot to take into account the lasting power of Austin Interfaith. Leaders from neighboring Travis Heights Elementary PTA, St. Ignatius Catholic, Oak Creek Village Tenants Association and St. David's Episcopal Church were already organizing around funding for after-school programming and maintaining affordable housing in communities near the school when apartment complexes are redeveloped.

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Attendees of a SXSW talk on education heard plenty about collaboration from Austin Interfaith leaders Ken Zarafis (President, Education Austin) and Lisa Robertson (Principal, Travis Heights Elementary) in a discussion about AISD's first public charter school. Supt. Cruz, who was Chief Schools Officer at the time, recognized that autonomy and trust was crucial in the process.

"It's about trying to create a different type of culture that allows for excellence and innovation," he said.

The school gained signatures of support from 97 percent of teachers and staff, as well as support from 90 percent of its school community and board approval.

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Koreena Malone, an accounting graduate of Capital IDEA, was confronted with the threat of losing her home when a developer's plans involved razing her apartment and replacing it with a higher cost unit. In collaboration with Austin Interfaith she formed a tenant's association and negotiated a new deal on the redevelopment with Travis Heights Elementary School, the neighborhood association, her tenants' association, and the developer.

"'I strongly believe that the redevelopment of Oak Creek Village won't just lead us to a better community but a model for the city of Austin,' Malone said.

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