Photos: Alina Simone			Central Texas Mutual Housing Association
					Leslie Marrero credits Central Texas Mutual Housing with helping her become a homeowner.
		When Leslie Marrero first drove through Buckingham Place she assumed it was another high-priced rental property that her family could not afford. She was surprised to discover that rent at Buckingham was actually lower than rent at the apartment where she and her family were then living!
		"Buckingham presents itself as a homeowners community. You have a garage, you have a driveway, you have a backyard. It’s beautifully maintained, the streets are clean, the lawns are manicured. Buckingham provided me with a home, the only thing I didn’t have was a mortgage”
							"Buckingham provided me with a home, the only thing I didn't have was a mortgage."
		Leslie Marrero and her family became the first CTMHA residents to purchase their own home with the help of Individual Development Account matching funds.
						Buckingham Place
			Affordable Housing with Mutual Benefits
		Central Texas Mutual Housing Association (CTMHA) was founded in 1986 with the goal of providing affordable housing for low-to-moderate income working families. CTMHA tenants pay no more than a third of their income to rent an apartment or duplex. By forging a close relationship with residents, (one of every three members of the board of directors resides in CTMHA housing ) CTMHA has created programs specific to the needs of working families. Today residents have access to CTMHA-operated after-school and school readiness programs, job training, and a computer lab. Adult residents can take advantage of English-as-a-Second-Language and computer skills classes.
		Summer Youth Program provides access to computers and recreational activities		In 1998 CTMHA launched the Individual Development Account program. The IDA program enables low income residents to earn $2 in match money for every dollar they save towards the goal of purchasing a home, starting a business, or pursuing higher education. After four years in the program a family’s account can be worth as much as $6,000 ($2,000 in participant deposits and $4,000 in earned match)! More than 130 families have opened IDA accounts since January 1998.