Tag: Affordable Housing

Mixed Use, Proposed Developments

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Although only one includes living space, both structures shown separated by St. Charles St. in the rendering at top are intended to give people spaces to live. The big one — depicted in more detail above — is Kirksey Architectureâ€™s 5-story design for an affordable housing operations center, to be placed directly across the street from 20 units of actual housing. The Midtown Redevelopment Authority bought the vacant land for both sites along Elgin in 2015, back when the renovation of neighboring Emancipation Park was still taking shape.

On the left in the aerial below, you can see the parcel where the HQ is planned across from the park and its on-site Emancipation Community Center:

Third Ward

77004, Affordable Housing, Apartments, Mixed Use, Office Buildings, Proposed Developments, Third Ward

Apartments

08/30/18 12:01pm

Somerset Lofts Sign Up To Neighbor Forthcoming Railway Heights Food Hall

Proposed Developments, Quicklink, Timbergrove

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SOMERSET LOFTS SIGN UP TO NEIGHBOR FORTHCOMING RAILWAY HEIGHTS FOOD HALL Four floors of apartments are staking their claim to the unbuilt 2-and-a-half acre tract next to the warehouse that’s becoming a food hall at 11th and Hempstead. With a nod from the city planning commission and some tax credits bestowed by the Texas Department of Housing last month, Blossom Development is now ready to start building the complex. Its bargain with the state mandates that at least some of the 120 units be priced below market rate. Map: Houston Planning Commission Agenda

77008, Affordable Housing, Apartments, Proposed Developments, Quicklink, Timbergrove

Featured Posts

07/25/18 10:00am

Avenue CDC’s New Northline 2-Stories Are Now Lining Up Single File off Berry Rd.

New Construction, Northline

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Framing is up for the row of houses dubbed Avenue Meadows that Avenue CDC is planting along Meadow Lea Rd., just south of Berry Rd. Each of the nearly 1,200-sq.-ft. structures will be 2 stories upon completion, although the photo at top shows most of them still haven’t risen above single-floor status. Within the set of 10 total houses, the architects at StudioMET designed 2 versions: The Monarch and The Admiral.

Builders laid the groundwork for each of the homes in April. Once they’re done, Avenue CDC plans to fill them with a mix of low to mid-income inhabitants, with a few market rate buyers sprinkled into the mix as well.

Previously on Swamplot: The Slabs Are Down for Avenue CDC’s New Row of Northline 2-Stories

Photos: Avenue CDC

Avenue Meadows

77002, Affordable Housing, New Construction, Northline

Featured Posts

06/06/18 3:00pm

How Fifth Ward CRC Plans To Fit 110 Housing Units into the Shuttered Elizabeth Hospital on Lyons St.

Fifth Ward, Hospitals, Redevelopment, Renovations

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Current and proposed views from high above Lyons Ave. show what the St. Elizabeth Hospital would look like repurposed as a 110-unit housing complex, as the Fifth Ward CRC proposes. The biggest change architectÂ Van Meter Williams Pollack has in store for the place is a teardown of the central wing that runs back behind the 3-story north face — pictured above — to make room for a new parking courtyard.

Behind that lot, a newly-constructed, 3-story building would front Chisum St.:

St. Elizabeth Place

Affordable Housing, Fifth Ward, Hospitals, Redevelopment, Renovations

Demolitions

10/12/17 3:00pm

Housing Authority: Our Flooded Clayton Homes Development Was Going To Be Demolished Anyway

by Swamplot

Disaster Aftermath, Flooding, Northeast Houston, Public Housing, Quicklink

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HOUSING AUTHORITY: OUR FLOODED CLAYTON HOMES DEVELOPMENT WAS GOING TO BE DEMOLISHED ANYWAY A new statement from the Houston Housing Authority provides a little more background on its decision to demolish 112 of the 296 units at the authority’s Clayton Homes low-income housing neighborhood just east of Hwy 59 at the northern tip of EaDo. The homes were deemed “uninhabitable” after flooding from Hurricane Harvey triggered mold and other health concerns: “HHA decided demolition was the best course of action for the damaged units since the entire property is located on land acquired by eminent domain and will face eventual demolition for TxDOTâ€™s I-45 freeway extension. When the remainder of Clayton units are demolished in a few years, the remaining residents will either be relocated to another public housing unit or receive HCVs.” Housing Choice (formerly Section 8) Vouchers — along with moving assistance and payments — are also being provided to residents of 82 out of the 100 units at another Housing Authority development, Forest Green Townhomes at 8945 Forest Hollow St. in northeast Houston, which the authority today announced had also been rendered unlivable by the storm. [Houston Housing Authority; previously on Swamplot] Photo of pre-Harvey Forest Green Townhomes: Forest Green

77003, 77078, Affordable Housing, Demolitions, Disaster Aftermath, East End, Eminent Domain, Flooding, Houston Housing Authority, Hurricane Harvey, Low-Income-Housing, Northeast Houston, Public Housing, Section 8

Demolitions

10/05/17 3:00pm

Housing Authority Ready To Demolish More Than a Third of Clayton Homes After Harvey Flooding

by Swamplot

Disaster Aftermath, East End, Flooding, Public Housing, Quicklink

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HOUSING AUTHORITY READY TO DEMOLISH MORE THAN A THIRD OF CLAYTON HOMES AFTER HARVEY FLOODING 112 of the 296 apartments at Clayton Homes have been deemed “uninhabitable” by its owner, the Houston Housing Authority, which is now seeking to demolish them. The affordable-housing complex tucked between Hwy. 59 and Buffalo Bayou north of Runnels St. in the northwest corner of the East End was flooded after Hurricane Harvey; subsequent investigations conducted by local researchers led by the New York Times and by the authority found numerous health and safety problems in the residences, including festering mold and high levels of E. coli. Submitting a demolition request for those units allowed the authority to receive and distribute “tenant protection vouchers” that will allow their residents to relocate to any voucher-accepting unit in the city, a spokesperson for the agency says: “Since Hurricane Harvey caused extensive damage to many of HHAâ€™s public housing properties, housing options within HHAâ€™s public housing program are now exhausted, which is why residents are receiving vouchers.”Â The agency says it is also helping Clayton Homes residents not eligible for the vouchers as well to find new homes — with relocation assistanceÂ services and one-time payments — and that it is refunding rents collected for periods when homes in the complex were uninhabitable. Photo: Apartments.com

77003, Affordable Housing, Demolitions, Disaster Aftermath, East End, Flooding, Houston Housing Authority, Hurricane Harvey, Low-Income-Housing, Public Housing

Demolitions

06/02/17 12:45pm

Fallen Jefferson Davis Nurses Quarters Face Death atop Old City Graveyard, Surrounded by Art and Emergency Response Vehicles

First Ward, Historic Preservation, Public Art

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The partially ruined former Jefferson Davis HospitalÂ nurses quarters at 1225 Elder St.Â — until very recentlyÂ in the running for a spotÂ on the National Register of Historic Places — was recommended for demolition at last week’s Harris County Commissioner’s Court meeting following a public hearingÂ the day before.Â The building, tucked west ofÂ the elevated freeway tangle where I-45 splits from I-10 near Downtown, would have joined the nextdoor former Jefferson Davis Hospital itself on the historicÂ registry — instead, it looks like the structure will finally meet meet the ‘dozers after its long slow decline, accelerated by damage from a fire inÂ 2013 that lead toÂ last year’s semi-collapse.

Next door, the 4-story hospital structure (built in 1924, and replaced by 1938 with another Jefferson Davis Hospital where the Federal Reserve building now stands onÂ Allen Pkwy.) cycled through variousÂ modes of use and disuse until its early 2000’s restoration into the Elder Street Artist Lofts, whichÂ serve as low-rentÂ apartmentsÂ and studios forÂ artsy types.Â That redevelopment, of course, involved carefully diggingÂ around theÂ dozens of unmarked gravesÂ turned up on the surrounding land, which beginning inÂ 1840Â had served as the second city cemetery (and as the final resting place forÂ a hodgepodge likely including Â Confederate soldiers,Â former slaves, victims of the 1860sÂ yellow fever epidemics, people who died in duels, Masons, and a variety of others). The hospital’s name is still carved above the lofts’ entrance:

First Ward Fire Damage by HFD

77007, Affordable Housing, Apartments, Art, Cemeteries, Churches, Collapses, Confederate History, Demolition, Fires, First Ward, Graveyards, Historic Preservation, National Register of Historic Places, Public Art, Restaurants, Restorations, Statues

Comments

04/18/17 3:45pm

Comment of the Day: For Whom the Train Rolls

Quicklink

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COMMENT OF THE DAY: FOR WHOM THE TRAIN ROLLS Trains to Office Buildings “. . . The few large cities that youâ€™re referring to, where central living expenses are far higher than Houston, all provide far more extensive mass transit options. I know I have multiple transit options after midnight in other large cities — not so for Houston. For those without reliable transportation and non-office hours, the availability of Park and Rides does not solve or address accessibility issues.” [joel, commenting onÂ Grand Central Parkâ€™s Official Debut; Houstonâ€™s Not All Sprawl]Â Illustration: Lulu

Affordable Housing, Co-working, Comments, Development Patterns, Park and Rides, Public Transit

Quicklink

04/18/17 2:30pm

Would It Be Easier To Bring the ‘High Opportunity’ Areas to the Affordable Housing, Instead?

Affordable Housing, Complete Communities, HUD

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WOULD IT BE EASIER TO BRING THE ‘HIGH OPPORTUNITY’ AREAS TO THE AFFORDABLE HOUSING, INSTEAD? Proposed Housing Development at 2640 Fountainview Dr., Briargrove, Houston, 77057 Yesterday Mayor Turner announced a few more details of a planÂ to redirect federal and local money toward some of the city’sÂ low-investment areas, starting withÂ Acres Homes, Gulfton, Second Ward, Northside Village and Third Ward,Â writesÂ Rebecca Elliott for the Chronicle. The “Complete Communities” plan, Elliott notes, was mentioned in the city’s response to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which sent the city a letter in JanuaryÂ finding that the nixing of that Briargrove mixed-income housing project was racially motivated.Â That letter instructed the city to move forward after all with theÂ cancelled project (or one like it, in a different ‘high opportunity census tract’). AÂ city lawyer wrote back, tellingÂ HUD that part of Houston’s plan to address the Department’s concerns isÂ to “transform previously neglected neighborhoods into neighborhoods HUD would define as ‘high opportunity.’“Â Yesterday’s details didn’t include aÂ price tag or timeline;Â Turner did mention possible partnerships with private groupsÂ and developers. Â [Houston Chronicle; previously on Swamplot]Â Image of previously proposed apartments at 2640 Fountainview Dr.: Houston Housing Authority

Quicklink

01/16/17 10:30am

HUD Orders Go-Ahead on Briargrove Affordable Housing Project or Something Kinda Like It

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HUD ORDERS GO-AHEAD ON BRIARGROVE AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROJECT OR SOMETHING KINDA LIKE IT Proposed Housing Development at 2640 Fountainview Dr., Briargrove, Houston, 77057 Houston Public Media reports that the city is mullingÂ over its optionsÂ with regards to theÂ letter sent last week by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which relayed the agency’s findings that the nixing of the mixed-income apartment complex at 2640 Fountainview Dr. was based in part on “racially motivated local opposition.” Among other things, the letterÂ orders the city toÂ okayÂ the project (or aÂ similar project within another “low minority and high opportunity” census tract), to develop a plan to promote other similarÂ projects in other low-poverty areas, and to work out incentives for property owners in those same areas to accept housing vouchers. Â [Houston Public Media; previously on Swamplot] Images of proposed apartments at 2640 Fountainview Dr.: Houston Housing Authority

77057, Affordable Housing, Briargrove, City Council, Houston Housing Authority, HUD

Braeswood Place

10/18/16 2:30pm

Senior Living on Linkwood Dr. Now Being Planned Half Mile from Planned Buffalo Speedway Senior Living

Linkwood, South Main

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Bethany United Methodist Church, 3511 Linkwood Dr., Linkwood, Houston, 77025

Bethany United Methodist Church recently postedÂ someÂ FAQs andÂ answersÂ about itsÂ plans to put a senior living developmentÂ on its property, a reader in the area tells Swamplot. The land is south of the intersection of Linkwood and Bevlyn drives, and mayÂ be one of the 4 potential adult active-living housing projects Stream Realty mentioned to Paul TakahashiÂ back in April, as the church’s website says the project’s developer is currently working onÂ the Solea Copperfield senior living complex in Northwest Houston (just south of Birkes Elementary on Queenston Blvd.). The website also notes that 51 of the 101 living units would be rented out to folks with a household income between 33,000 and 45,000 at below-market rates.

The church’s main entrance is about a third of a mile from that set of lots stretching from Buffalo Spdwy. to Main St. where some stirrings were seen in July; a drawingÂ submitted as part ofÂ a variance request put in for that landÂ calls that project Traditions Buffalo Speedway Senior:

Plans Maturing in Braeswood Place

77025, Affordable Housing, Braeswood, Churches, Linkwood, Proposed Developments, Senior Living, South-Main

Featured Posts

07/19/16 5:30pm

The Glittering 5-Story Affordable Housing Thinktank Bubble That Could Rise by Emancipation Park

Third Ward

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Update, 7/20: The renderings and description have been removed from both LAI’s website and the online portfolio website where they were previously displayed. At the request of the architect, Swamplot has removed the images as well; this article has been updated.

AÂ glassy sphere shown in aÂ rendering ~~currently~~ previously displayed on theÂ website ofÂ Colorado-basedÂ LAI Design GroupÂ looked to be part of a design for aÂ nonprofit workspace and affordable housing thinktank called the Coleman Global Center.Â An attached description of the projectÂ ~~doesn’t~~ didn’t specificallyÂ identify the location of theÂ rendering (beyond noting that project is “in Houston”). But another rendered view of the project ~~(posted to porfolio site Behance)~~ showed the bubble right across Dowling St. from theÂ almost-finished new community center at Emancipation Park (and its easy-to-identifyÂ reflection pool) at the corner with Elgin.Â And Leah Binkovitz’s May interviewÂ with stateÂ representativeÂ Garnet Coleman and a set of collaborating Third Ward nonprofit directors ambiguously highlights that particular cornerÂ as playing an important role in plans to shiftÂ how gentrification unfolds in the neighborhood.

~~Compare the renderingÂ below (which shows the bubble building in place) to architect Phil Frelon’sÂ angled aerialÂ rendering of Emancipation Park (included further below):~~

77004, Affordable Housing, Architecture, Midtown Redevelopment Authority, Nonprofit-Development, Nonprofits, Proposed Developments, Third Ward

Third Ward

Eastwood

06/21/16 11:30am

Interpreting Parking Lot Cryptograms Around the Big-Box-To-Be in Eastwood

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Lovett leasing flier for Cullen St. Retail, Cullen at I-45, Eastwood, Houston, 77003

Lovett has been dropping a few crumbs regarding the selection of restaurants and shops that will fringe the parking lot of theÂ retail development planned for the former Fingers Furniture warehouse site on Cullen Blvd., across I-45 from the University of Houston’s main campus. No anchor tenant for the site hasÂ officially named (thoughÂ talkÂ of WalmartÂ has made itsÂ way to several tipsters in theÂ Eastwood Civic Association this spring, along with assurances that the marker memorializing theÂ former site ofÂ Buffalo Stadium’s home plateÂ will likelyÂ be preserved).

A site plan from December (shown above, with north angled roughly toward the top right corner)Â showsÂ several pad sites along the feeder road marked up as QSR (presumably Quick Service Restaurant).Â A later sketch now up on Lovett’s website as well adds more clues, however — including Â a cryptic label on what could be the first Starbucks to venture into the East End: