New Hope Housing EaDo: Multifamily At 3301 Harrisburg Blvd.

[Urbannizer]

 

New Hope just closed on 1.5 acres last week in the East End to build its first (and Houston’s most affordable) mixed-use project, CEO Joy Horak-Brown and VP Nicole Cassier tell us. The property will be the first stop on the Harrisburg metro line and will have 175 single room occupancy (SRO) efficiency units, 4k SF of retail and 8k SF of office space. Joy says New Hope particularly wanted to do another project in the East End because of its near-downtown presence with access to job opportunities and need for affordable housing options amidst a fast-growing neighborhood. It worked closely with the neighborhood, which really wanted a mixed-use, transit-oriented development. It’ll be lively and interactive with the community, Joy tells us—neighborhood organizations will be able to use some of the meeting spaces and rooftop garden.

 

The top floor of the property will be the office space, including New Hope’s new corporate office. The retail will not be a chain, Joy and Nicole tell us—they and neighborhood leaders are envisioning something similar to Frank’s Pizza Downtown. The City Housing & Community Development has invested $6.6M into the property, which will be leveraged with tax credit equity and private grants. (The anticipated total development price tag is $25M.) It’s aiming to break ground this winter and deliver mid-2017. Glassman Shoemake Maldonado Architects is handling design.

Read more at: https://www.bisnow.com/houston/news/affordable-housing/two-affordable-housing-firsts-for-houston-48564?utm_source=CopyShare&utm_medium=Browser

[monarch]

^^^ simply wonderful prospective!  i am very happy about this....

[LS27]

Per Houston's plat record, it looks like this would be on the NW block of Harrisburg/Sampson

[Howard Huge]

I've been saying it all along, the window washers, street sweepers, janitors, security guards and hospitality workers who all keep our downtown serviced, would love the chance to get to live close to downtown, especially the ones who don't have cars and have to rely on Metro buses to get to work from far away neighborhoods. Now they too can just hop on a train and bam, easy day.

Good job, guys.

[UtterlyUrban]

What does " single room occupancy efficiency units" mean? And, how would this be different than a "studio apartment"?

[trymahjong]

I like this idea-

The term "affordable housing " is one used by COH in describing the proposed development on Cleburne and 288-near Dowling----but none of the local residents seem thrilled with the proposal.

[jdbaker]

What does " single room occupancy efficiency units" mean? And, how would this be different than a "studio apartment"?

SRO, means these are not apartments.  They are more like college dorms.  Typically, SROs are one person per unit,  smaller than a studio apartment, and no kitchen.  

Edited July 31, 2015 by jdbaker

[KinkaidAlum]

I love New Hope Housing. It's one of my yearly go-tos as far as charitable giving. A wonderful organization.

[cloud713]

this might be the most excited I've ever been about a new "affordable housing" project!! heh.. it seems very well thought out. 

but no kitchens? will there be a community kitchen or something?

[KinkaidAlum]

In most of their spaces they have hall kitchens and other shared places and there are responsibilities that come with living there. It's a great place for people to get back on their feet or for people working their way up from nothing. Wish more people would support it because our city needs so many more of these type of places.

[samagon]

I've been saying it all along, the window washers, street sweepers, janitors, security guards and hospitality workers who all keep our downtown serviced, would love the chance to get to live close to downtown, especially the ones who don't have cars and have to rely on Metro buses to get to work from far away neighborhoods. Now they too can just hop on a train and bam, easy day.

Good job, guys.

 

it doesn't seem to me that the point is for these types of residences. it seems to me that the idea is to allow short term living for people who are trying to get off the streets. which is still awesome, but not really going to be for the janitors and security guards, as they're not trying to get back to a state of 'productive member of society' status.

Edited July 31, 2015 by samagon

[JoninATX]

I'm excited about this project. Just hope it doesn't turn into ghetto projects down the line.

[UtterlyUrban]

SRO, means these are not apartments. They are more like college dorms. Typically, SROs are one person per unit, smaller than a studio apartment, and no kitchen.

So, it's a new name for a high density boarding house?

Do we know how these will be occupied? Will they be leased for some duration (3-, 6-, or 12-months) or are they envisioned to be occupied for much shorter durations --- without a lease?

Edited August 1, 2015 by UtterlyUrban

[HoustonIsHome]

Some of these style housing have fridges and kitchen sinks but no stove. They are usually not really big, like under 300 sq feet.

Residents are restricted in who and what they can bring in. Guests are usually required to register at the front desk.

Sometimes a fee is required to have a guest stay overnight.

[Urbannizer]

SubdivisionPlatPDF_New Hope Housing Harrisburg revised.pdf

[j_cuevas713]

Some of these style housing have fridges and kitchen sinks but no stove. They are usually not really big, like under 300 sq feet.

Residents are restricted in who and what they can bring in. Guests are usually required to register at the front desk.

Sometimes a fee is required to have a guest stay overnight.

Wow that's kind of insane. BUT I will say that I would def live there, especially since it's so close to rail and accessible to so much.

[Nole23]

I absolutely love this project. Affordable housing, mixed use, and right on a new metro rail station. Therefore people who can't afford to live downtown can hop on the rail and enjoy everything our downtown has to offer for entertainment and job opportunities. 

[Naviguessor]

So, what is between "affordable housing" may not include a refrigerator and you may not be allowed certain guests? Come on. we've got to call this something else.

"Affordable" should mean that you don't have to make $60k/yr to live there. And "Housing" should include a refrigerator.

There's got to be something in between "Luxury" and this.

[Montrose1100]

So, what is between "affordable housing" may not include a refrigerator and you may not be allowed certain guests? Come on. we've got to call this something else.

"Affordable" should mean that you don't have to make $60k/yr to live there. And "Housing" should include a refrigerator.

There's got to be something in between "Luxury" and this.

This project seems more like a halfway house. A decent one at that.

[Gator Purify]

The following questions are not meant to offend.  They are intended to push the conversation forward.  What separates "affordable housing" from being slums?  And why do 300 sf, stoveless apartments need to be right in front of one of this city's few rail stations?  I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth, and my woman is from the South Bronx, so the P.C. police can stay away.  I'm asking these questions purely from a standpoint of evaluating this project's overall benefit to the City of Houston, not just to certain populations.  Moreover, a development like this pretty much guarantees that the area surrounding this station will compliment these apartments for decades to come.  Is that desirable?  Honest questions.

[terra002]

this seems like a pretty terrible idea, I hope it fails

[terra002]

Everything being built now is "luxury" apartments. Couldnt there be something inbetween  that and a halfway house... This could be a great area to build housing geared for U of H students with easy access to campus via rail. 

[amashgo]

Everything being built now is "luxury" apartments. Couldnt there be something inbetween  that and a halfway house... This could be a great area to build housing geared for U of H students with easy access to campus via rail. 

 

A normal apartment you say? Blasphemy. 

 

 

Surely there is a point though, with all these luxury apartments going up, that the market gets over-saturated and we get to a point where prices on the luxury ones normalize down to a reasonable rate? 

I know we have had a major influx of people moving to Houston the last few years, and although home prices are astronomical, they are building and building. Once everyone wraps up, surely we have more than we need and there are cost effective choices again? 

[KinkaidAlum]

Jesus, people.

 

Do you know how many people are one crisis away from being homeless? Do you know how hard it is to get back on your feet if you've lost an actual place to live? Do you know how many threads we have about homeless people? 

 

New Hope Housing is a good organization. Much better than the lot of you. 

 

Quite frankly, I like the community feel of these places and I like that there are some rules. The last thing New Hope Housing wants is to let in the wrong people who will then turn this into slums. And you know who else appreciates the rules? The people on the waiting list to get in. 

 

As for the dire predictions and the disbelief this is being built along the new rail line... this will also contain the offices for the organization and most of the people that work for new hope housing come from Christ Church Cathedral downtown. 

[Naviguessor]

I totally support this project and understand the need for it. Bring more like it forward. It is very important. However, it is a half-way house and not an apartment complex. Calling it "affordable housing" may be true, but it makes it is misleading. Someone, with a mid/lower paying job looking for a decent place to live, would not qualify and be turned away. I guess my issues is with the packaging/marketing of the project (Feel the same about all the "Luxury" wraps). This is obviously done so to not get the NIMBY panties all twisted up.

[terra002]

@ kinkaid  Pretty opinionated for someone that doesnt live in houston... Guess that expensive Kinkaid education really got you in touch with the homeless. 

[mollusk]

I didn't go to Kinkaid, I do live in Houston, and I fully agree with the general drift of KinkaidAlum's comments.  I think the statement "Jesus, people" might be better understood if read as a reminder.

 

Bless your hearts - be thankful for that comfy bubble you get to live in.  Not everyone is so fortunate, but the less fortunate still exist, they're still human, and they still need food, housing, education, jobs at a living wage (which helps with nos. 1 and 2), and some way to maintain their health.

[monarch]

@ kinkaid  Pretty opinionated for someone that doesnt live in houston... Guess that expensive Kinkaid education really got you in touch with the homeless. 

 

[Montrose1100]

I have no issues with this development and hope for more of them.

But as Navi said, the marketing is a bit misleading. It's a great place for people to get on their feet. The worry I stem from this, is that people already "on their feet", with families or couples, who would need a full sized kitchen, don't have a lot of central options. An issue not taken up with developers who only seek those who would rather shelve out twice the price of a mortgage on similar/larger sized home in the burbs.

Would a halfway home by any other name smell as sweet?

Don't confuse my addressing the lack of affordable housing in this city as an insult or hatred of this project. I am all for it.

[mollusk]

 The worry I stem from this, is that people already "on their feet", with families or couples, who would need a full sized kitchen, don't have a lot of central options. An issue not taken up with developers who only seek those who would rather shelve out twice the price of a mortgage on similar/larger sized home in the burbs.

 

Point well taken, 'Trose. 

 

It's a particularly dicey issue with families, because then you get into the issue of school quality - or even existence.  Many of the inner loop elementaries have closed over the years, though in some cases it was to achieve some sort of "economy of scale" - to me an odd metric when you're talking about 6 to 12 year olds.