Mary Lee Community Renovates and Expands Housing for Persons with Special Needs

Austin, Texas– Today, the newly renovated and expanded Cornerstone community, for persons with special needs, celebrated its grand opening with the Mary Lee Foundation, a local non-profit, City officials and local advocates in Austin.

The Cornerstone will specifically house 30 low-income families with special needs due to developmental disabilities, mental illness and head injuries. The 30 apartments range from efficiency units to two-bedroom units and are projected to cost between $375 and $695. Section 8 vouchers from the Housing Authority of the City of Austin and rent subsidies from the Mary Lee Foundation will also be available to assist families with their rent costs.

The completion of the 30 apartments was made possible in part by over $1 million in federal funding from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through the Austin Housing Finance Corporation. Additional funding was provided by the, the Mary Lee Foundation, the Federal Home Loan Bank, Wells Fargo Bank and the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

"We are grateful for the partnership between the Mary Lee Community and local, and federal government agencies and private organizations," said Charlene Crump, Executive Director of the Mary Lee Foundation. We see the needs of persons with disabilities first-hand everyday, and we knew we had to create a development like The Cornerstone, but we couldn’t do it alone," she said.

The Mary Lee Community, a subsidiary of the Mary Lee Foundation, will oversee the management of The Cornerstone. The Mary Lee Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1963 and provides affordable housing and supportive services to low-income families with special needs due to developmental disabilities, mental illness and brain injuries.

For leasing information on The Cornerstone, please call the Mary Lee Foundation at (512) 443-5777.

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call 974-3100 (voice) or 974-3102 (TDD) for assistance. This project is made possible by funding from HUD through the City of Austin.

CONTACT: Julie Beggs, 974-3121 (voice),