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hindesky

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The NHP Foundation received a $1.5M annual allocation of 9% credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs to construct 149 units of permanent affordable housing in Houston’s Midtown neighborhood. Additionally, the city of Houston Department of Housing and Community Development has allocated $15M through its Harvey Multifamily Program. The project is also being considered for funding by the Harris County Community Services Department. Magnificat Houses Inc. is providing the land and is NHPF's partner in the development.  The property, located at 3300 Caroline St., will contain 149 rental units, recreational amenities and space for the supportive services. In addition, 20% of 3300 Caroline's units will be set aside for formerly homeless people who have gone through transitional housing programs such as Magnificat's and are willing to become the equivalent of college resident advisers. 

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  • 2 months later...
  • The title was changed to Affordable Housing 3300 Caroline
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  • The title was changed to Affordable Housing 3300 Caroline St.
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Surveyor stakes that look very new but the Caroline St. redo is just up the road and the road is completely closed off. I wonder if they will wait for the street construction to finish before they start this.

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  • The title was changed to Affordable Housing At 3300 Caroline St.
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I talked with a couple of women who work for Block Companies about this project while I was at the 2100 Memorial ground breaking. They are still building it but it was put on hold.

Edited by hindesky
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  • 2 months later...

Apparently the County and City are now withholding Harvey funds for this project as leverage for passing tenant protection legislation.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Fifth-Ward-apartments-plagued-with-health-hazards-17318681.php

"The situation at Cleme Manor was bad enough that Pct. 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis pulled a vote on funding for NHPF’s new development from Tuesday’s Commissioners Court meeting. He plans to delay the vote until the county can pass tenant protections for housing projects that receive county funds.

NHPF is a development partner in a potential affordable housing project at 3300 Caroline St. The development would provide 149 new units in the affluent Midtown neighborhood and is slated to receive about $8.5 million from the county, along with $15 million from the city of Houston.

“I think its a good project, and I’ve heard good things about NHPF from around the country... but I don’t want to give up $8.5 million because they say ‘trust me.’ I think it’s a good opportunity to push for some strong tenant protections and inspection requirements for affordable housing projects that receive any county funding,” Ellis said."

The conflict between tenants and building management has now prompted a conflict between city and county officials.

The county’s delay on this same project has exasperated Keith Bynam, director of Houston Housing and Community Development, who pulled the city’s vote on its funding from last week’s City Council meeting while the county addresses its concerns.

Waiting to distribute the funds until new legislation is passed is an “overreach,” according to Bynam, who fears the Texas General Land Office might revoke the Hurricane Harvey funds being used to pay for the development. He argued that the city and county could vote to distribute the funds and implement protections while the development is under construction.

“We will continue to have conversations with the county to see if we can get back on the same page to get this project moving as quick as we possibly can. By the time its completed, between the county and the city we will have everything in place to ensure the developers and managers are doing everything they're required to do,” Bynam said.

In response to Bynam’s comments, Ellis told the Chronicle, “I am going to use every tool I have to push for the strongest protections I can get.” Those include ensuring that management cannot retaliate against renters who create or participate in tenant organizations, obligating management to address unhealthy conditions, including mold, and requiring a 30-day eviction notice, instead of the three-day notice currently required.

Ellis said he plans to form a working group with his staff and the Harris County Community Services Department to draft legislation, and hopes to have it ready by the next Commissioners Court meeting. Roger Canales, development director for Texas at NHPF, said the organization will “absolutely” abide by any new guidelines put in place but hopes that they will pass legislation soon to keep costs down.

“We support anything that the commissioner wants to do, we support his mission and we want him to feel comfortable,” Canales said.

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1 hour ago, toxtethogrady said:

I would imagine that if City and County money is involved, they have a certain mission they want to accomplish with the money, and tenant protection is one of those missions. They are not in the business of for-profit development.

Okay, thank you.  I didn't know if something happen to make them take this stance or if it was genuine.

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41 minutes ago, Paco Jones said:

Okay, thank you.  I didn't know if something happen to make them take this stance or if it was genuine.

Ironically by delaying this project,  Houston might not fill it's quota for affordable housing and will get another big fine from the federal government. It's a genuine issue but I wonder if its worth it long term.  

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"The new development at 3300 Caroline St., which is expected to break ground next month, will provide 149 units of “permanent supportive housing for homeless adults of Harris County,” according to the amended agreement between Harris County and the developers, the NHP Foundation and Magnificat Houses."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/housing/article/Owner-of-troubled-Fifth-Ward-complex-gets-10M-17348909.php

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"City Council on Wednesday further delayed voting on a housing development for the homeless in Midtown, with some council members citing the developer’s mismanagement of a run-down apartment complex in Fifth Ward as evidence that it can’t be trusted with more than $18 million in city funds."

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Houston-council-delays-vote-on-homeless-housing-17380451.php

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seems they had a change of heart...

 

Quote

Houston City Council voted Wednesday to award two nonprofits more than $18 million in funding for a homeless housing development in Midtown despite concerns about one organization’s history with a run-down apartment complex in Fifth Ward.

https://www.houstonchronicle.com/politics/houston/article/Houston-City-Council-OKs-homeless-housing-17395326.php

Edited by 79ta
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10 hours ago, hindesky said:

Glad to see something being built.  I'm in favor of low income housing.  But I don't like what looks like rewarding a company for doing a bad job with its existing property.

Award the contract to someone else, and let the company in question clean up its act and bid on the next one.  It's not like this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

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On 8/24/2022 at 11:14 PM, hindesky said:

"While some council members did not want NHP Foundation to build the unit, they said they were pushed into a corner, and without approval, the city could have lost the funding altogether.

The money came from the state's General Land Office, and the city council said they weren't given much time to discuss this, given the state's deadline."

Thanks a bunch, Texas General Land Office (George P. Bush, Commissioner). 

Edited by dbigtex56
Corrected punctuation.
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