Blackland Community Development Corporation

What Blackland Community Development Corporation does

Blackland Community Development Corporation (BCDC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community development corporation founded in 1983 in Austin, Texas, that builds, acquires, and maintains affordable housing in the 28-block Blackland neighborhood of Central East Austin. BCDC manages a 51-unit portfolio — including Robert Shaw Echo Village (8 units for elderly), Rodin Village (8 units purchased via HUD loan in 2010), Harden House (a 1945 civil rights-era historic home donated by the University of Texas in 2004), and the SNAP House (a DOE Solar Decathlon modular home) — with units reserved for transitional families (9), elderly residents (6), adults with mental or physical disabilities (4), and income-burdened working families earning below 60% of Austin's area median income.

BCDC operates a community-led model rather than a technology platform: it has no proprietary technology stack, uses Givebutter for donation processing and Google Forms for maintenance requests, and relies on volunteer labor (approximately 5,000 hours annually historically through partnerships such as Mueller Home Depot). Revenue comes from four streams: individual and corporate donations (80 cents of every dollar goes to families served), federal HUD grants administered through the City of Austin's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department, tenant rent payments from affordable leases, and in-kind volunteer labor and donated materials.

The organization's defensibility rests on a 2002 regulatory entitlement (the Upper Boggy Creek Neighborhood Plan's 60%-AMI affordability requirement) and four decades of community-organizing relationships rather than on technology. BCDC is currently in pre-development on Austin Art Village, a mixed-use creative live-work community for artists, and is publicly working toward a $20 million organizational vision via its Advisory Council. The organization is governed independently with no parent company and has no disclosed institutional investors.

Name

Blackland Community Development Corporation

Legal name

Blackland Community Development Corporation

Website

https://blacklandcdc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1983

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blackland Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1983 that manages 51 units of affordable housing across Austin's 28-block Blackland neighborhood, serving transitional families, elderly, disabled adults, and income-burdened working households earning below 60% of area median income.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Affordable Housing Services

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (531110), Other Community Housing Services (624229)

SIC

Operators Of Apartment Buildings (6513), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public & Affordable Housing Programs (Subsidies, Vouchers, Public Housing) (BPAIANAA), Housing Development, Construction & Rehabilitation Programs (BPAIANAB), Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Affordable housing services
• Community development corporation
• Transitional housing
• Low-income rental housing
• Housing preservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Austin

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations fund housing operations, resident services, and development projects. The organization emphasizes that 80 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to the families served.
2. Government Grants (HUD): Federal HUD funding administered through the City's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department. Early funding came through city-administered HUD grants. HUD HOME funds used for property acquisitions like Rodin Village.
3. Tenant Rent Payments: Affordable rents collected from residents across 51 units. Rents are kept deeply affordable to serve very low income, elderly, and disabled populations.
4. Volunteer Labor and In-Kind Donations: Thousands of hours of volunteer labor and donated materials supplement funding. In 2005, BCDC coordinated approximately 5,000 hours of volunteer labor annually through partnerships with Mueller Home Depot and small nonprofits.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Blackland Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that acquires, maintains, and operates deeply affordable rental housing in Austin's 28-block Blackland neighborhood. The organization manages 51 units across named properties—Robert Shaw Echo Village (elderly), Rodin Village, Harden House, and the SNAP House—serving transitional families (9 units, many formerly homeless), elderly residents (6 units), adults with disabilities (4 units), and income-burdened working families earning below 60% of Austin's area median income. Operations are funded through HUD/government grants, private donations, and volunteer labor rather than market-rate rents.

Product overview

Blackland Community Development Corporation is a nonprofit affordable housing organization that operates a portfolio of 51 housing units across the 28-block Blackland neighborhood in Central East Austin. The portfolio includes named properties: Robert Shaw Echo Village (8 units for elderly), Rodin Village (8 units), Harden House (historic), and SNAP House (solar-powered modular). Austin Art Village is a major upcoming development project. BCDC provides housing for transitional families (9 units for formerly homeless), elderly residents (6 units), adults with disabilities (4 units), and income-burdened working families. Additional services include volunteer programs, an advisory council, community events (Pre-Junteenth Fair), donation programs, and emergency maintenance services. The organization maintains its headquarters at the Fannie Mae Stewart Conservatory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rodin Village An 8-unit apartment complex in Central East Austin acquired by BCDC in 2010 to provide affordable rental housing. At least two units remain affordable per the original developer agreement with Rodin Wilber.
• Harden House A historic house built in 1945 by civil rights pioneer June H. Brewer, one of the first African American students admitted to the University of Texas. Donated to BCDC by UT in 2005 and relocated to its current location to be used as part of BCDC's affordable housing portfolio.
• SNAP House (Super Nifty and Portable House) A solar-powered modular home featuring steel-beam modular sections, recycled styrofoam insulation, solar power, and zinc exterior cladding etched with Daily Texan pages. Donated to BCDC and installed in the Blackland neighborhood as part of the affordable housing portfolio.
• Robert Shaw Echo Village An 8-unit housing complex for elderly residents with very low incomes, and the first and only Tiny Planned Unit Development of its kind in Texas. The property is leased to BCDC by the City of Austin and named after blues musician Robert Shaw.
• Austin Art Village BCDC's most ambitious development project, currently in pre-development phase. A mixed-use creative community in East Austin that will preserve affordable live-work space for artists while expanding the neighborhood's housing footprint.
• Emergency Maintenance Services 24/7 emergency maintenance services for BCDC tenants covering no air conditioning above 80°F, no heat below 50°F, flooding/broken pipes, carbon monoxide concerns, non-flushing toilets, and electrical sparks. Contact: 737-296-0718.
• Affordable Housing Units Portfolio

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,100+ households served since 1983
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Texas (UT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Once adversaries in the fight against UT expansion, the relationship evolved. As part of the 1992 agreement ending UT's eastward annexation, UT handed over properties it owned east of Leona Street to the neighborhood. UT donated the Harden House to BCDC in 2004. UT architecture students designed and built the SNAP House for the Solar Decathlon, which was later donated to BCDC.
• City of AustincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Austin leases Robert Shaw Echo Village property to BCDC. City's Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department administers HUD loans. The 2002 Upper Boggy Creek Neighborhood Plan created the affordability provision protecting the Blackland neighborhood.
• Mueller Home DepotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn 2005, BCDC coordinated volunteer labor through Mueller Home Depot and a network of small nonprofits, putting up two duplexes along 22nd Street and converting a historic bungalow into a community conservatory.
• Fannie Mae Stewart ConservatoryminorOthersBCDC headquarters located at the Fannie Mae Stewart Conservatory, which also houses BCDC's historical exhibit.
• Arhoolie RecordsminorOthersArhoolie Records reissued Robert Shaw's album 'The Ma Grinder' and recorded additional material in the 1970s and 1980s. While not a formal organizational partnership, the record label has preserved the cultural legacy tied to the Blackland neighborhood through Robert Shaw's music.
• U.S. Department of Energy (Solar Decathlon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitecture students at University of Texas designed and built the SNAP House as their entry in the U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon competition. After the competition, UT donated the house to BCDC.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/blacklandcdc
• Facebookfacebook.com/BCDCAustin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blacklandcdc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Blackland Community Development Corporation