FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - October 14, 2005

Contact:
Jennifer Jones, Media Relations Specialist
(512) 477-4488 x117
jenniferj@hacanet.org

HACA AND LOWE’S PARTNERSHIP TARGETS HOMEOWNERS, AWARDS SELF-SUFFICIENCY

WHAT: In a continuing effort to encourage Housing Authority of the City of Austin residents to become homeowners, the agency has partnered up with Lowe’s Home Improvement to offer free safety products to graduates of the housing authority’s Home Ownership Program. The initiative is part of the Lowe’s Heroes program, which addresses the most overlooked cause of injuries in America: unintentional accidents in the home.

The partnership kicks off Thursday with the building of a fence for one of HACA’s recent Home Ownership Program graduates, Nicole Robinson. A team of Lowe’s employees will put up about 140 feet of brand new fencing at the home of Robinson, who is visually impaired.

“With Ms. Robinson’s fence, we hope the community will be able to see that we’re here for them,” Lowe’s spokesman Daniel Paciocco said. “Lowe’s is a retail organization, but we’re also here to work with the community and help out however we can.”

Paciocco says he hopes the program will extend to child-proofing and fire-proofing the homes of all HACA Home Ownership Program graduates.

WHEN: Thursday, Oct. 20, 2005 from 1 to 4 p.m.

WHERE: 1601 Dittmar Oaks Cove

WHAT ELSE: The Housing Authority of the City of Austin is a public agency whose business is to ensure that safe, quality affordable housing opportunities exist for families of low income; break the poverty cycle by serving as a catalyst for our residents to become economically self-sufficient; create meaningful partnerships to maximize available community resources for our residents; and efficiently and effectively meet federal, state and local mandates. For more information, please visit www.hacanet.org.