Ms. Hairston holds the position of El Paso Colonia Ombudsman under the auspices of the Texas Secretary of State. She is the former Homeownership Program Coordinator of the Resident Opportunities for Self-Sufficiency (ROSS) Program for the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso. In her current position, she assists colonia communities with water and waste-water projects. She has extensive experience working with low-income households including public housing residents in the areas of self-sufficiency and homeownership. Ms. Hairston formerly served as the El Paso Home of Your Own (HOYO) Project Coordinator/Housing Specialist for UCP of Texas. (HOYO is a homeownership program for persons with disabilities.) In that position she provided extensive pre- and post homeownership counseling to consumers, obtained and coordinated community support, conducted home inspections and prepared work-write up for accessibility modifications. She has also served as a AmeriCorps*VISTA Supervisor, conducted proposal research and grant writing, and served on a HUD Peer Review Panel for Fair Housing. She has a BA in Social Psychology from Park College and is working on her MA. Having been a former HUD Section 8 recipient and former single parent, Ms. Hairston provides valuable insight into the needs of our target population.