Foundation Communities | Creating housing where families succeed in Austin and North Texas.Our Blog

FAQ: What to Know About Online Tax Prep and Stimulus Checks

April 29, 2020 | Posted in Tax Services, Financial Stability, In the News | Keywords: Tax Preparation, stimulus checks, 2019 taxes

Is free tax preparation available during COVID-19 closures?

Yes! Foundation Communities has partnered with GetYourRefund.org to offer free online tax preparation for the local community. You provide your household information and tax documents, and our IRS-certified tax preparers will complete and file your tax return. Visit bit.ly/GetYourRefundAustin to get started. We are not offering in-person tax preparation due to the coronavirus and social distancing restrictions.

When can I get help with my taxes?

Free tax prep will be available through the extended IRS filing deadline of July 15th. Our IRS-certified tax preparers are available Monday – Saturday, but you can submit your documents any time. Once you’ve submitted your tax documents online, your tax preparer will schedule a phone call with you to review everything.

Is online tax prep available in other languages?

Currently, our online tax prep site is available in English only. We are hoping to launch a Spanish version by the end of May. If you need help accessing our tax prep, you can reach our bilingual (English/Spanish) tax team at 512-610-7374.

Is there a penalty for waiting until July 15th to file my taxes?
The IRS extended the filing and payment deadline for 2019 tax returns to July 15, 2020, so there is no penalty for waiting to file. All taxpayers can take advantage of the extended deadline due to coronavirus. If you are expecting a refund, we urge you to let us help you file your tax return as soon as possible.

Will filing online make my refund come sooner?

If you are expecting a refund, we urge you to file your taxes as soon as possible and claim your refund. We are able to file your return electronically with the IRS, which is the fastest way to get your refund. Your refund will be directly deposited to your bank account. Visit bit.ly/GetYourRefundAustin to get started with free online tax prep. The IRS is not currently processing mailed paper returns because of COVID-19 closures. Filing online is the only way to ensure getting a timely refund.

Can I get help claiming my $1200 stimulus check?

Our tax preparers can help you claim your stimulus check even if you don’t need to file a tax return. If you have not filed your 2018 or 2019 tax return, filing your 2019 return is the fastest way to receive your $1,200+ economic impact payment (stimulus check) from the IRS. Use our free online tax prep services to file your tax return and expedite your stimulus payment. Funds will be directly deposited into your bank account if the IRS has your account information. In most other cases a paper check will be mailed. If you do not need to file a tax return we can help you fill out the form needed to update your address or banking information.

How do I know if I’m eligible for a stimulus check (Economic Impact Payment)?

U.S. citizen tax filers with adjusted gross income up to $75,000 for individuals and up to $150,000 for married couples filing joint returns will receive the full payment of $1200.
For filers with income above those amounts, the payment amount is reduced by $5 for each $100 above the $75,000/$150,000 thresholds.
There is also an additional payment of up to $500 for each eligible child.
Single filers with income exceeding $99,000 and $198,000 for joint filers with no children are not eligible.
The primary taxpayer and spouse must both have a Social Security Number to get a stimulus check according to requirements in the federal CARES Act. Couples who file jointly where one has an SSN and one has an ITIN will not be able to claim any stimulus payments.

I didn’t need to file a return in 2018 or 2019 because I receive Social Security, disability (SSDI), VA benefits, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI). How can I claim my stimulus check?

Most eligible U.S. taxpayers will automatically receive their Economic Impact Payments including:

Social Security retirement, disability (SSDI), survivor benefits, Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Recipients of Veterans Affairs benefits
Individuals who receive Railroad Retirement benefits

NOTE: VA and SSI recipients with eligible children need to act by May 5 to quickly add money to their automatic Economic Impact Payment. VA and SSI recipients who have a qualifying child and didn’t file a 2018 or 2019 tax return have a limited window to register to have $500 per eligible child added automatically to their soon-to-be-received $1,200 Economic Impact Payment. Visit the special Non-Filers tool on IRS.gov by May 5 to help put all of your eligible stimulus into a single payment. Our IRS-certified tax preparers can help navigate this process.

Will you reopen your in-person tax prep before the July 15 deadline?

We hope to reopen our Prosper Centers before July 15 to provide in-person tax prep services, but we have not yet decided how or when we can reopen. Ensuring the safety of all clients, volunteers, and staff is our highest priority. When we do reopen, it will likely be on a limited, appointment-only basis in compliance with social distancing measures.

Click here for additional information from the IRS about Economic Impact Payments

Click here for more information from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau about Economic Impact Payments

Art Will Save Us: an Arts Response to Covid-19

April 21, 2020 | Posted in FC Creates, FC Creates: Community Development, FC Creates: Arts, FC Creates: Residents | Keywords: COVID-19, art

First, let’s just acknowledge that this is a weird time, and none of us really know how to cope. Some days we might feel active and productive- tackling projects at home, connecting with people virtually, picking up a new hobby, or flexing our #coronacooking skills. Other days, we want to veg out- bingeing on TV, getting lost in a book, playing video games, or literally planting a vegetable garden. No matter how we’re getting through the day-to-day, it’s undeniable that art, culture, and creativity are part of our survival. We all know that these practices lower our stress and help our minds and bodies stay healthy, but art and creativity impact public health in another way:

On March 30, the United Nations put out a call to creatives to help stop the spread of Covid-19 with the following message:

The United Nations (UN) needs your help in translating critical public health messages, into work that will engage and inform people across different cultures, languages, communities and platforms. The shortlisted work will reach everyone, everywhere.

Since then, the University of Florida Center for Arts in Medicine has collected a repository of public health + art resources and released a call for collaboration between artists and public health workers, stating that

The arts are one of the most powerful means for communication and coping we have at our disposal today.

Naturally, we wholeheartedly support this type of collaboration. After all, this type of cross-sector work is exactly what creative community development is all about. That’s why we’re putting out a call to FC residents:

Keep your eyes peeled for our artists’ responses! If you want to download, post, or share images from artists collaborating on public health, you can find some here. And if you’re an artist, be sure to check out the resources linked above!

Community Spotlight: Creative Minds

April 9, 2020 | Posted in FC Creates, FC Creates: Culture, FC Creates: Residents, FC Creates: Staff | Keywords: housing, COVID-19, art, creativity

Anyone who’s been to Garden Terrace, one of our properties in South Austin, can’t help but notice that creativity abounds. There are painters, poets, musicians, writers performers, and crafters of all kinds!

Resident artwork is always on display at Garden Terrace!

For years, they’ve been supported by FC staff through a group called “Creative Minds.” It’s a safe space for anyone to share creative projects they’ve been working on, ask questions about others’ creative processes, or just sit back and enjoy the creativity of their neighbors. This group has inspired several of our other properties to start their own creative sharing groups.

Now that we’re physically isolated, we can’t gather all together, so we’ve been forced to use those creative minds of ours to find new ways to connect. This blog is one of them. We’ve had artists from different properties on conference calls, sharing ideas and giving updates on works-in-progress. Staff members are sharing their creative activities and practices, and maybe even trying new ones!

In non-distancing times, this is a space to gather, read and relax.

In these strange times, I’ve been inspired to start groups like this with my friends, some of whom are in other cities or states– we get together on a video chat and share a creative project we’re working on. Or we’ll decorate cards or postcards to mail so we can stay connected. Or sometime’s we’ll just text a quick photo– “made this today!”– and be met with encouragement and emojis.

How are you staying connected to your creative community? Have you returned to an old creative practice or started a new one? How has your creative mind been finding solutions to the unique conditions we’re in? Do you have a favorite DIY or project you’ve been working on?

Welcome to FC Creates! (What is it?)

April 2, 2020 | Posted in FC Creates, FC Creates: Community Development, FC Creates: Arts, FC Creates: Culture | Keywords: art, creativity

Hi there!

My name is Olivia and I’m an Enterprise Rose Fellow in Austin, TX working as part of “FC Creates” with Foundation Communities (FC, for short) . FC’s goal is to create housing where families succeed, and the role of FC Creates is to support that through Creative Community Development (AKA Creative Placemaking).

You might be asking yourself, What the heck is “creative community development?” The short answer is that it integrates arts, culture, and community engagement into design and development processes. It might sound like it’s all fun and games (and arts & crafts), but this work can seriously affect how we live, work, and grow in our communities.

At FC, we don’t just want our communities to look beautiful, we want them to function beautifully. That’s why we’re using Creative Community Development techniques to integrate arts, culture, and wellness into our community design, resident life, and staff experience.

This blog will be a place to follow that journey and to share the creative practices of our incredible residents, staff, and community members. I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as we do- maybe it will even inspire your own creative practice!

Be well,

Olivia

P.S. If you want to get in touch, we’re just an email away at FCcreates@foundcom.org.

COVID 19 UPDATE: To protect the health of our residents and on site staff, we are need of several critical items!

April 1, 2020 | Posted in In the News | Keywords: COVID-19, needs, donations

Right now, Foundation Communities needs:

– Handmade mask
– Thermometers
– Gloves
– Clorox wipes
– Hand sanitizer
– Fingertip Pulse Oximeters

Please email: Kristen.Graben@foundcom.org for delivery options.

Foundation Communities Maintains and Modifies Essential Operations and Support Services in Response to COVID-19

March 13, 2020 | Posted in In the News |

Foundation Communities is maintaining essential operations and support services with modifications, in an effort to reduce the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

“The health and well-being of our residents, clients, employees, and volunteers is important to us at Foundation Communities. In an effort to reduce the spread of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in our community we are following recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to practice social distancing and limiting gatherings in public places,” says Aaron DeLaO, Director of Health Initiatives.

Children’s Home Initiative will continue to receive applications. Email childrenshomeinitiative@foundcom.org.

Learning Centers will follow AISD closures but will provide tools to enable students to continue learning from home.

Prosper Centers will continue to prepare tax returns using a drop-off service model.

Food pantries will remain available to residents at their normal times, with modified procedures. Please email health@foundcom.org with more questions.

The College Hub will remain open by phone only. Click here to schedule a phone appointment or email collegehub@foundcom.org.

The Health Coverage program will remain open by phone only. Students can call (512) 381-4520 to schedule a phone appointment.

Out of an abundance of caution, these closures and modified operations will remain in effect until further notice and other programs may be limited or cancelled to help keep residents and clients safe in response to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Check here for frequent updates as the situation continues to change.

Foundation Communities Maintiene y Modifica Operaciones Esenciales y Servicios de Apoyo en Reacción al COVID-19

March 13, 2020 | Posted in In the News |

En reacción al nuevo coronavirus (COVID-19), Foundation Communities está manteniendo nuestros operaciones esenciales y servicios de apoyo, con modificaciones.

“La salud y el bienestar de nuestros residentes, clientes, empleados y voluntarios son importantes para nosotros en Foundation Communities. En un esfuerzo a reducir la propagación del nuevo coronavirus (COVID-19) en nuestra comunidad, estamos siguiendo las recomendaciones de los Centros para el Control y la Prevención de Enfermedades (CDC) y la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS) para practicar el distanciamiento social y limitar las reuniones en áreas públicas,” dice Aaron DeLaO, Director de Iniciativas de Salud.

Puede enviar las solicitudes para Children’s Home Initiative a childrenshomeinitiative@foundcom.org.

Los Learning Centers sigue los cierres de AISD, pero vamos a dar recursos para que los estudiantes pueden continuar sus educación en sus propias casas.

Los Prosper Centers continuará preparando declaraciones de impuestos, pero solo aceptará los documents dejado en sitio.

Las despensas de comida en sitios residenciales permanecerá disponible a los residentes al tiempo normal, pero con procedimientos modificados. Puede enviar las preguntas a health@foundcom.org.

La College Hub continuará aceptar las citas por teléfono. Haz clic aquí para obtener cita por teléfono o puede enviar las preguntas a collegehub@foundcom.org.

La programa de seguro de salud continuará aceptar las citas por teléfono. Llama a (512) 381-4520 para obtener una cita por teléfono.

Por precaución, estos cierres y operaciones modificadas permanecerán en efecto hasta próximo aviso y otros programas pueden ser limitados o cancelados para ayudar a mantener la salud y seguridad a nuestros residentes y clientes en respuesta al Nuevo Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Consulte aquí las actualizaciones frecuentes a medida que la situación cambia.

Stand Up and Be Counted

March 10, 2020 | Posted in Get Involved, Volunteer, In the News | Keywords: census, Volunteer

Did you know that the census happens once every 10 years, is required by law to complete and that your responses will shape our community’s future?

Every year, billions of dollars in federal funding go to support medical assistance and healthcare programs, housing assistance, supplemental food and nutrition programs, highway planning and construction, education programs and more.

Who is counted? EVERYONE! Your answers to the survey are safe and everyone should be counted regardless of citizenship or immigration status.

Foundation Communities has a team of trained volunteers working to make sure our residents and tax program clients understand the impact and importance of the census and are counted.

For more information, contact Nikki.Krueger@foundcom.org.

FC Doubles Solar Capacity in Four Years

September 25, 2019 | Posted in Affordable Housing, Green Building, Housing | Keywords: solar energy, green building, green energy, Affordable Housing

Kermit the Frog may have said it best: “It’s not easy being green.” Building green may have its challenges, but Foundation Communities has continued to find ways to build beautiful, affordable housing for residents in need, while allowing us to continue to let our green-side shine through.

We have made great strides in our green building initiatives, said Katelynn Essig, Foundation Communities’ sustainability manager. Since 2014, we have more than doubled our solar capacity and now have nearly 1.1 Megawatts installed across 14 properties.

“We have saved enough greenhouse gas emissions, it’s like removing 4,300 cars from the road for one year!” Essig said. “We beat our goal to reach 1 Megawatt of installed solar 2 years early and are excited to see what unfolds as we continue to build beautiful, green, affordable housing.”

With our newest community, The Jordan at Mueller, opening later in 2019 and Waterloo Terrace, now under construction along MoPac Expressway near The Domain, we will continue to add to our green building and solar energy initiatives.

Teacher Brings Love, Respect to the Classroom

July 29, 2019 | Posted in Education | Keywords: early education, children, Montessori, AISD, education

Silvia Villacorta was teaching at a Montessori school in Costa Rica when she got the call. The principal at St. Elmo Elementary School invited her to create an early-education program to help youngsters’ years before they step into an elementary school.

The program is a partnership between AISD and Foundation Communities, and beacause of its success will expand during the 2019-20 school year to two additional classrooms, two at Sierra Vista and one at Vintage Creek, Silvia said.

With 22 years of teaching experience, a master’s degree in human rights and experience founding educational programs in Spain, Silvia was excited to build a program with strong community involvement.

“It has been a nurturing, sweet place to be. We talk a lot about love and respect,” Silvia said of the Pre-K-3 program.

Her background in instructional design and Montessori education helped her create an environment where children work independently, build social, emotional learning skills and where families engage in their children’s’ educational growth.

A place where kids love to learn.

The love and respect the program fosters is evident. Parents don’t drop off their children and leave, they are invited to stay and eat breakfast with them, giving Silvia an opportunity to talk with them and build bonds.

“Children are encouraged to go around the classroom and freely choose what they want to do. The learning experiences are based on self-motivation… All of the materials are created for their developmental levels and are easily accessible,” she said.

“Our program is so full of joy because as educators, we love our job,” Silvia said. “I will summarize it in a quote from my beloved and admired educator, Dr. Maria Montessori, ‘I didn’t come here to teach you, I came here to love you. … Love will teach you.’ Each child that crosses our door gets real, authentic love. And, love teaches.”

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