| The Rio Grande Valley is recognized as one of the most economically and educationally distressed regions in the nation. The University of Texas-Pan American's (UTPA's) COPC New Directions grant focuses on 20 colonias (combined population approximately 3,000) in Hidalgo County, Texas, in the Rio Grande Valley Empowerment Zone (RGVEZ). Colonias, typically unincorporated areas along the U.S.-Mexico border, have gained national attention due to their third world-like conditions, including lack of potable water, abundance of outhouses, substandard housing, and high incidence of disease.
UTPA and its community partners are addressing the needs for affordable housing, economic development, and community leadership in this severely distressed area of the Rio Grande Valley. Through a grassroots-oriented strategic planning effort, the university has documented many of the region's problems. Thousands of families are on waiting lists for public housing assistance. At least eight of the targeted colonias have no drinking water services and none has wastewater services. With unemployment hovering between 15 and 25 percent and poverty rates between 35 and 65 percent, the RGVEZ is considered an economic disaster area.
CoSERVE, the public service arm of UTPA comprising 17 public service centers including UTPA's COPC, is the lead entity in a comprehensive community project which brings together local community-based organizations, public and private agencies, and community members. These groups and individuals are combining their resources to launch a coordinated and systematic attack on the problems of families in this predominately Hispanic area. The approach combines housing counseling, entrepreneurial training/financial assistance, and community leadership training.
UTPA is a doctoral-degree granting institution located in Edinburg, Texas, 20 minutes from the target area. It has the highest percentage of Hispanic students of any major university in the country and is one of the fastest growing universities in the State of Texas. More than 12,000 students were enrolled for the 1998-99 school year. Recognizing its proximity to an area of extreme poverty, UTPA's mission includes involving the institution in the community by providing services, programs, continuing education, cultural experience, educational leadership, and expertise to the community-at-large.
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