FAQs

Get Involved FAQs

Live Here FAQs

Resident Services FAQs

Community Tax Center FAQs

Get Involved FAQs

How can I contact you or send a donation?
  • By phone: 512-447-2026
  • By mail: 3036 S. 1st St. Suite 200 Austin, TX 78704 
  • By email: info@foundcom.org

  • By fax: 512-447-0288

I'd like to volunteer or I have a group of volunteers who'd like to help. What can we do?

We have volunteer opportunities all around town for individuals or groups through Ladders to Success. Or you can help working poor families by preparing income tax forms (January – April).

I have some land that would be good for affordable housing. Who do I talk to?
  • We're  always looking for building sites to develop or renovate for affordable multi-family housing.
  • Please contact Asset Manager Vicki McDonald at 512-447-2026 x33 or vicki.mcdonald@foundcom.org.
I have some furniture, clothing or household items I'd like to donate. Can you use these items?
  • We appreciate that people think of us when they have nice things they no longer need.
  • Please see our Wish ListWish List for the items we currently need.
  • If you have items to donate that don't appear on the Wish List, please consider donating them to Goodwill, Salvation Army or Project Transitions' Top Drawer.
  • We partner with all of these great groups and your gifts fund crucial services they provide to help people who might just live at one of our communities.
I'd like to get involved, but doesn't the government take care of affordable housing?
  • To create or renovate affordable housing we depend on mostly government funding. (Specifically, we've received Low-Income Housing Tax Credits, 501 (c)(3) bonds, City of Austin Affordable Housing Bonds, and grants from Federal Home Loan Banks and the Resolution Trust Corporation. We've also used Multifamily Private Activity Bonds, bonds issued through the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, City of Austin programs and NeighborWorks America.)
  • However, to provide programs that make a real impact in our community — quality after-school programs for children, case management for homeless families and individuals, and financial stability programs — we depend on grants from local corporations and charitable foundations and gifts from people like you. (Thank you!)
Before I get involved, I'd like to know what makes Foundation Communities different?

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Live Here FAQs

How can I live here?
  • Meet specific income guidelines (they vary for each location) 
  • Pass criminal and credit checks 
  • Have a good rental history (not required for some programs)
What do I do first to live here?
  • Call the community in which you're interested. Be ready to tell them your exact income and number of people in your household.
  • If there are no vacancies, call your next choice.
How much is the rent?
  • Rents are based on resident income and vary with each property.
  • One-bedroom apartments start at $500; two-bedroom apartments start at $560; and three-bedroom apartments start at $665 based on availability.
  • Rates for furnished efficiencies vary from $50 (for individuals meeting particular guidelines and if available) to $450.
  • Please call the location where you'd like to live to ask about rental rates. Some communities may also offer specials.
What if I have bad credit or a bad rental history?
  • We try to allow for a variety of difficult circumstances, but the need for affordable housing is so acute that we must select tenants who we believe will be successful and contribute to our communities.
  • If you have any concerns about your credit, please contact the property in which you are interested and discuss your situation with the property management staff.
Is there a limit to how long I can live at one of your properties?
  • While there is no limit, our programs are designed to help people gain independence.
  • Twenty percent of the families who move out of our communities do so to buy a home.
  • However, we also have many long-time residents, and we value their contribution to our communities.

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Resident Services FAQs

What kind of services do you offer?
  • We offer on-site education programs for children and adults who live at our affordable housing — and families who live in the surrounding neighborhood.
  • For children, we offer after-school programs with an academic and health focus, structured summer programs and community-minded teen groups.
  • For adults, we offer classes in money management, computers skills, English as a Second Language and home buying.
  • Our IDA matched-savings program offers residents opportunities for saving for college, buying a home or starting a business.
Do you charge for your resident services?
  • All of our resident services and programs are available at no charge or at reduced rates.
  • Our classes and youth programs are also open to neighboring communities at no cost or at a reduced rate, depending upon the program.
  • Participants in our IDA savings program must meet specific income guidelines.
Do I qualify if I'm not a Foundation Communities resident?

Our financial stability programs are open to anyone in Central Texas who meets income eligibility requirements.

Community Tax Center FAQs

New in 2009! - The American Recovery Reinvestment Act

What you should know about income tax

  •  If you work in the U.S., you must report your income to see if you owe income tax. This rule applies to citizens, people with green cards, people without green cards, and people without tax preparer and clientsSocial Security Numbers.
  • How much tax do I have to pay? The amount of income tax you owe depends on how much you earn, other income you get, how many people live with you, and how many people you support.
  • How do I report my income? At the end of every year, you fill out a form that is called a tax return. View a list of the documents needed to file your taxes.
  • How does the government know I report the correct amount of income? Most employers report your income to the Internal Revenue Service. The Internal Revenue Service – known as the IRS – is the part of the U.S. Government that collects taxes. If you report income that is different than what your employer reports, the IRS will ask you to explain the difference.
  • How do I pay my income tax? Every payday, your employer takes some money out of your pay and sends that money to the IRS. This way you pay your taxes little by little during the year. If your employer does not take the money out of your pay, you will owe all the tax at the end of the year. Or you may send your taxes to the IRS during the year, also known as an Estimated Tax Payment
  • Is there a deadline for reporting my income and paying taxes? Yes. The deadline is April 15 of the next year. In other words, if you are filing a tax return for 2008, you must file it by April 15, 2009. You can send a Form 4868 to the IRS if you need more time to file your tax return. But you must pay your taxes by April 15, or you will have to pay a penalty. This extension is only an extension to file, not an extension to pay.
  • What if my employer takes out too much money? If your employer sends the IRS more money than you owe, you will get a refund. To get your refund, you must file your tax return. You can get a refund even if you do not have legal permission to work in the U.S. You may qualify for tax benefits from the IRS. The IRS pays money to some families who earn low wages – even if you do not have permission to live and work in the U.S. The IRS gives tax credits to elderly people, people who have children, and people who pay for child care or education.   

Learn more about Child Tax Credit
Learn more about Earned Income Credit

Volunteer at HEB tax center

  • What is a tax credit? A tax credit is money that is subtracted from the tax you owe. If you do not owe any tax, some tax credits may give you a bigger refund.
  • I have a tax problem. Who can help me?
    Contact the Taxpayer Advocate Office at 1-877-777-4778
  • What if I don’t have a valid Social Security Number? You do not need a Social Security Number to file a tax return. You can apply for an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) and use it to file your tax return. View our ITIN brochure in English or Spanish for more information regarding ITINs.

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Child Tax Credit-Reduce Your Taxes or Increase Your Refund

What is the Child Tax Credit? The Child tax Credit is an income tax benefit for people with low and moderate income.
When you file a tax return, the Child Tax Credit may reduce your tax. It may also get you a refund! You may be eligible for up to $1,000 per child in Child Tax Credit.family at the FC tax center

Can I get the Child Tax Credit? You may claim the Child Tax Credit with either a Social Security Number (SSN) or an individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN).

  • Your income must be LESS than:

$75,000 if you file Single or Head of Household
$110,000 if you file Married Filing Jointly or
$55,000 if you file Married Filing Separately.

  • Your child must:

Be your son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, adopted child, eligible foster child, brother, sister, or child of any of these;
Be less than 17 years old at the end of the year. In other words, your child must be 16 years old or younger on December 31;
Not provide more than half of his/her own support; and
Live with you for more than half of the year.

Will I get a refund of the Child Tax Credit (Additional Child Tax Credit)?  You may get a refund of the Child Tax Credit if you did not use all of your allowed Child Tax Credit, and your earned income is more than $3,000. You also may get a refund if you did not use all of your allowed Child Tax Credit, and you have three or more children.

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Earned Income Tax Credit- Increase Your Refund


What is the Earned Income Tax Credit?
The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is an income tax benefit for people who earn low to moderate income. When you file a tax return, you may get a refund of federal taxes that are withheld from your paycheck. You may also get an additional refund, known as EITC.

Facts about EITC
You can get EITC if:

  • You have been paid in cash or by personal check, so long as you can prove you earned the money.
  • You are self-employed.
  • Your employer did not withhold federal income taxes from your paycheck.
  • You did not file a tax return or claim EITC, it is not too late. You may be able to claim EITC for the past three years.

Do I qualify for EITC?
You qualify for EITC if ALL of the following are true: 

  • You have earned income, meaning you work full-time or part-time, and if you earn less than a certain amount. Earned income is from wages, tips, and self-employment. The following are NOT earned income: unemployment benefits, child support, social security benefits, pensions, alimony, TANF, food stamps, job training benefits, and interest.
    • For 2008, if you are single or married and have no children, you may get up to $457 if your income is less than $13,440 (less than $16,560 for married workers).
    • If you have one child, you may get up to $3,043 if your income is less than $35,463 (less than $38,583 for married workers).
    • If you have two or more children, you may get up to $5,028 if your income is less than $40,295 (less than $43,415 for married workers).
  •    You must file single, married filing jointly, or head of household. You cannot file married filing separately and get EITC.
  •    You may not have investment income (like interest or dividends) of more than $3,100.
  •    You must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien all year.
  •    You, your spouse, and children must have a social security card that is valid for employment. If you receive a valid social security number after you file your tax return, you can amend your tax returns           for up to three prior years to claim the EITC. This is true if you used to have an ITIN, or if you used an invalid SSN.

  Can I claim my child for EITC?volunteers at the Workforce Tax Center Your child must meet ALL the following criteria:

  •    Be your child, adopted child, stepchild, eligible foster child, brother, sister, stepbrother, stepsister, or child of any of these;
  •    Live with you in the U.S. for more than half the year; AND
  •    Be under age 19 or a full-time student under age 24 on December 31. Your child may be any age if she is totally and permanently disabled.

 Will EITC affect my public benefits? No. EITC will not affect your benefits like food stamps, public housing, TANF, SSI, and Medicaid.

View more information on free tax preparation.

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