When money is tight at home, you may think about direct expenses like food and gas. A North Texas woman said she wants more neighbors to know about affordability decisions happening at City Hall with your money. ‘People depend on those doors being open’ Earlier this year, Nohelli Estrada s aid her day-to-day life changed. “I’ve had actually, a kind of tough year,” Estrada said. “I got let go of my job back in February. I could only have enough cushion for savings as the market allows me, and so the pressure was on.” Estrada was 31 at the time. She said she moved back in with her parents in Dallas. “You have to adjust because a lot of us are in a place where even our emergency savings aren’t enough of a cushion,” said Estrada. After four months, Estrada said she found a new job in healthcare. But the experience got her thinking about the city services she and her neighbors rely on, including the library, where Estrada spent hours applying for work. “Every day that I would go, I would see how many people depend on those doors being opened,” Estrada said. Making the connection Estrada said she started attending budget town halls and listening to neighbors’ priorities. She said she heard them ask about infrastructure or more grocery options. “What are we doing for them? What are we doing for the working families here?” Estrada said. Estrada said she spends her spare time studying city council agendas, tracking decisions about city spending. “I did this joke with my friends where I would drop it on their laps, and I’m like, ‘All right, tell me what city council is talking about next week.’ They’re like, ‘I don’t want to read this,’ and these are people my age,” Estrada said. “This is why it needs to be done,” added Estrada. Estrada and her friend started a website and social media accounts called Explaind, where they preview what the city council plans to discuss. They offer their summaries after public meetings. “Putting the word out there, simplifying it, letting people know that does affect our affordability,” said Estrada. Estrada said she wants to reach people who aren’t involved in local government and don’t know where to start. “How do you engage people who are also like me, living paycheck to paycheck, to want to care and why it matters? It’s just something that I hope that, down the line, with our work, is able to close that bridge,” said Estrada. Our NBC 5 Responds team is digging into affordability issues in North Texas. We want to know: are higher costs changing the way you live? You can weigh in here. Survey results will be included in future NBC 5 Responds reporting. ...read more read less