2000 Best Practice Awards

2000-2445 The Twin Oaks Homeownership Association (TOHA)
Pasadena, Texas
Contact: Lee Huebel (713) 472-8565

Resident controlled nonprofit corporation that owns and operates Twin Oaks Apartments, a 248 unit apartment complex in Pasadena, Tx. This collaboration of Twin Oaks residents, HUD, the City of Pasadena, Bank One Texas, the development team, and a number of service providers have made Twin Oaks a model of what a resident initiative can achieve at a multifamily property.

Click here to view more photos.

2000-1172 William Booth Garden Neighborhood Networks Academy
Houston, Texas
Contact: Mary E. McElhanon (713) 692-4186

Computer and internet classes for seniors and the homeless, trying to build a better tomorrow, Resources that make it happen.

2000-1291 Goldberg B'nai Brith Computer Center
Houston, Texas
Contact: Charlotte Motley (713) 771-2417

The center, which is open 24 hours a day, has 7 computers, 3 of which are on-line, and a printer. This center was established to allow residents to learn new skills, keep their spirits high and their minds alert. It has become a social gathering place to meet new people.

2000-2357 New Hope Housing, Inc.
Houston, Texas
Contact: Margie L. Bingham (713) 868-8305

New Hope Housing, Inc. offers affordable housing in a supportive environment through its 130-unit Hamilton Street SRO. New Hope's SRO has operated at capacity occupancy since it opened. The facility is new construction and operates solely on rental income, which supports building operating costs and a long-term maintenance set aside. The property carries no debt. One of the key elements in New Hope's solid success is its unique partnership with Enron Field-Houston's $248 million baseball stadium that opened in April 2000. When the ballpark was under consideration, New Hope's location just 100 feet from the 1.2 million square foot stadium loomed as a potential problem for the SRO. But New Hope had the support of the Mayor. "New Hope stays," said the Mayor. Today, New Hope's location positions the SRO's residents to access full time, part time, and event employment with the Houston Astros Baseball Club. The Astros recognize that a stable, dependable workforce is vital to the stadium's success, and the ball club eagerly sought this partnership with New Hope. Partnering with Enron Field has enriched the lives of New Hope's residents through job opportunities that are there for the taking and in other ways. The ballpark's construction by the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority includes beautiful trees and plants that are being installed around New Hope now. The SRO's access to satellite television is being facilitated by the ballpark for the benefit of residents. The Astros have donated to the residents' assistance fund for emergency loans, and baseball hats and T-shirts and tickets to the games are plentiful! New Hope is Houston's first SRO. This property was developed through a $3.4 million public/private funding partnership inspired by Christ Church Episcopal Cathedral. Because New Hope's SRO was the first of its type in Houston, securing funding for this new concept was not easy! Local government officials were reluctant to invest public funds in a project that was a new experiment for Houston. New Hope's faith-based Board of Directors decided that the only way the project would become a reality was to partner with the public and private sectors and the non-profit Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County. New Hope Housing raised $1.25 million, and the first 43 units were built through a partnership with corporations, the church, private foundations, and the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County. The Mayor cut the ribbon on the building, and it filled immediately! Within one year and through the Mayor's leadership, the City of Houston allocated $500,000 in affordable housing bond money for the construction of 47 more units. Then, through the Houston/Harris County Continuum of Care a $400,000 new construction supportive housing grant was received in 1998 to construct 40 more units. Today, more than ten homeless services organizations-the Department of Veterans' Affairs, corporate volunteers, church groups, and non-profit agencies and hospitals-work with New Hope daily to provide services. These services include spiritual enrichment; health fairs; mentoring prison releases; life skills training; job search assistance; psychological counseling; community meals; planning holiday celebrations; working in the community garden; and organizing game and movie nights, complete with door prizes and snacks. New Hope Housing was selected by the City of Houston to be the premier site visited by HUD Assistant Secretary Cardell Cooper at "HUD for a Day" on April 25. New Hope's SRO is a community project that is a credit to everyone concerned.

New Hope is responding to a pressing need: · One third of Houston's low-income renters fit into the "worst case" needs category, meaning that they earn less than $25,000 per year and cannot afford the $506 average monthly rent for an area apartment. (U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development; Houston Apartment Association, Harris County Housing and Community Development, 1998) · The affordability gap in rental housing is at crisis levels and continues to worsen. The climbing cost of rents has narrowed the available number of affordable housing units. Beginning in 1997, nation-wide rents have jumped nearly twice as fast as the government's Consumer Price Index. (Wall Street Journal, Sept. 27, 1999.) CDS Market Research, in partnership with HUD Community Builder Fellow, Sally Shipman, presented a very low income housing research analysis to the New Hope Board in September 1999. This study determined a critical need for additional SRO housing for those who cannot afford to pay Houston's average rental cost of $506 for a one-bedroom apartment. The faith-based New Hope leadership has committed to meet this urgent housing need by constructing 900 additional housing units by the end of 2005. The New Hope Board is confident that this goal can be met by following the model established in the first SRO. New Hope plans to partner with local government leaders, The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, the church, corporations, and private donors.

2000-1817 Pinewood Park Neighborhood Networks Center

Pinewood Park Learning Center is an onsite facility of Pinewood Park Apartments. The apartments are Section 8 Subsidized and are located in the northern part of Lufkin, Texas. The majority of residents and families within the surrounding area consist of ethnic and low economic minority groups. The majority of these residents are female heads-of-household who lacks the basic education and skills to enter the current job market. While there is evidence of pride, the standard for a better quality of life remains at the poverty level mentality, often for generations. Since its inception in April of 1997, the learning center has helped disadvantaged residents to reach personal and educational goals and successfully transition into the workplace and society. The center has successfully implemented programs for adult basic education, hard-to-serve adults, at-risk-youth, and children. Some of the programs are the TASP, GED, and general basics skills courses, pre-literacy and literacy programs, computer skills, parenting, health, and social skills instruction. The center is serving referrals from the probation department as well as the residents of the apartments and surrounding area. The center has 400 square feet of central classroom where the bulk of the studies or activities are conducted. Adjacent to this is a 260 square foot computer lab enclosing 10 computer workstations that implement GED preparation and job skills related software. The facility also includes a complete kitchen directly off the main classroom that cater to social development through luncheons, seminars, and also nutritional classes are held.

2000-1744 Billie Joyce Multi-Purpose Neighborhood Networks Center at Cleme Manor Apartments

The center works with its Partners to assess and meet the needs of the community by providing educational and training resources.

2000-2245 Congregate Housing Services Program, W. Leo Daniels Towers

Provides meals, personal care services and housekeeping services to elderly and disabled residents in need

2000-1277 Some Other Place/Henry's Place
Beaumont, Texas
Contact: Paula O'Neal (409) 832-5921

The project is designed to provide emergency assistance, special programming and a day facility for low/no income families/individuals and mentally ill homeless persons. The emergency assistance programs provide rent/mortgage payments (homeless prevention/foreclosure for 400-500 families per year), utility payments ( light, gas, water, propane, wood for 700-800 families per year), medical assistance (medications, medical supplies, medical transportation, medical services for 200-300 individuals/families per year and clothing assistance (used clothing for 8,000-1000 individuals/families per year) to low/no income individuals/families and mentally ill homeless persons. The emergency assistance also provides food assistance (food pantry for 700-800 families/individuals per year), transportation assistance (employment, relocation, gas vouchers, bus tickets, bus passes, car repairs) and other assistance (securing driver's licenses, photo ID's , birth certificates, clothing/equipment, financing for GED testing, funeral assistance) to low/moderate income persons/individuals. The project also sponsors a mass feeding program (50,000 meals per year) at its nutrition center; a Meals on Wheels Program which delivers an average of 120 meals per day to homebound persons and persons living with AIDS; a Back to School Clothing and Supplies Program, which supplies new clothing and supplies for 1,000-1,200 low/no income families; a Thanksgiving Store, which allows 50 to 600 families the opportunity to shop for traditional Thanksgiving food items. Gift Certificates are provided to purchase meats at local stores; The Christmas Giving Tree Program provides gifts for 1,000 to 1,200 children; and the day facility gets approximately 5,000 visits per year from mentally ill homeless persons who receive a light breakfast, shower, laundry service, use of the telephone, etc.

2000-1411 Homebuyer Assistance in the City of La Porte, TX

For its size, the City of La Porte, TX has a relatively high degree of activity from various organizations dedicated to increasing the supply of affordable housing and increasing homeownership.

2000-1456 Acorn Housing Corporation Hispanic Home Ownership Initiative and Faith Based Outreach
Houston, Texas
Contact: Bob E. Carlson (713) 863-9002

Latinos make up more than 22% of Houston’s population yet, both nationally and locally, their mortgage applications are rejected 12% more often than their white counterparts, according to research by ACORN Housing. In an effort to lessen this disparity and increase Latino homeownership opportunities, ACORN Housing Corporation initiated its Latino Homeownership Initiative. The initiative does the following: makes bilingual staff available to our clients for homebuyer education and counseling; arranged mortgage underwriting-guidelines that consider two or more years work history acceptable to lenders; arranged with lenders to accept non-traditional incomes in determining affordability; conducts bilingual outreach at schools and homebuyer courses weekly. In order to focus, integrate and intensify our involvement within the Latino community we have made a special effort to reach out to faith-based Latino groups and churches. The Latino faith-based communities in Houston provide a portal of access to a great deal of low to moderate income Latinos who desire to become Homeowners. We have broadened our Latino Home Ownership Initiative by adding a Faith-based aspect. Through intensive cost-efficient outreach we have partnered with numerous Latino faith-based institutions to assist their members in becoming homeowners. Through these partnerships we have conducted numerous seminars in Spanish and English at predominantly Latino faith-based institutions. By taking advantage of the very strong Latino faith community we have been able to reach an even greater number of potential mortgagor’s in the Houston area. Through our program we have conduced numerous home-ownership seminars in Spanish at Churches throughout the Houston area. The fact that applications and approvals for loans to Latinos have increased is a testament to the efficacy of these activities. More than 40% of Houston ACORN Housing clients are Latino and 80% of these clients are approved for conventional loans.

2000-1618 Neighborhood Networks Briggs-Cannon Community Empowerment Center
Houston, Texas
Contact: Raynold Richardson (713) 313-2274

The Briggs-Cannon Center is designed as a multi-faceted one-stop service provider for the residents of Plymouth Village Apartments and community -at-large. The most important aspect of the center is to provide opportunities for self-sufficiency for individuals and families. Educational Service Delivery: Computer literacy training is the primary resource offered at Briggs-Cannon. The facility houses a computer laboratory/classroom and an on-site instructor/technician. The course is basic introductory instruction for windows 95/98 micro-soft word and excel. Site GED Prep classes/ After school Tutorials 1-3/Reading Tutorials 1-5. Social Services: On site Social Services Coordinator, monthly, annual and as needed empowerment program implementation, employment assistance. Physical: Library Children's Activities Room Computer lab/10 units Resource information Library Audio-Video Equipment Employment Opportunities/Current Listings Community Multi-Purpose Facility Center Newsletter (EmpowerPrint)

2000-2172 Corder Place Apartments
Houston, Texas
Contact: Margie L. Bingham (713) 868-8305

This housing facility is unique in that its program design provides comprehensive supportive services in a therapeutic community for families living with HIV/AIDS and assists the families in obtaining self sufficiency in order to enhance residential stability. H.E.L.P. USA has worked closely with the City of Houston Department of Housing and Community Development, the Harris County Community Development Agency and HUD in developing this facility. H.E.L.P. USA has contracted with The Housing Corporation of Greater Houston to provide property management and supportive services coordination. The on-site management staff's responsibilities include case management, information and referral, outreach and collaboration with a number of organizations. The on-site service providers include the Bread of Life St. John's Academy licensed child care facility, Houston Area Community Services, which provides an assessment, a service plan and clinical supervision of the case management and monitoring of the service plan and the Houston READ Commission. The READ Commission provides on-site literacy services and access to a HUD-funded self-sufficiency job-training program. Other on-site services include the Montrose Clinic's assessment of needs and educational programs and the Houston Volunteer Lawyers program provides legal services. Other agencies involved in the project include the VA, Windsor Assistance Ministries, SEARCH, the Brentwood Foundation, the Bering Community Service Foundation, the AIDS Foundation of Houston, the People with AIDS Coalition and other organizations that play a role in our community's continuum of care for persons living with HIV.

2000-2272 Homebuyer Assistance Program2
Houston, Texas
Contact: Margie L. Bingham (713) 868-8305

Housing Opportunities of Houston, Inc., (HOH) administers a full service Homebuyer Assistance Programs for the City of Houston. The Homebuyer Assistance Program provides (1) counseling to potential homebuyers of low income to assist them in purchasing a home and to assist them with down payments, closing costs, or prepaids based upon need not to exceed $9,500 with $1,000 minimum. (2) education classes on how to purchase a home for potential low-income and first-time homebuyers; (3) mortgage assistance through a working relationship with Houston Housing Partnership (HHP). This is a citywide program. The Homebuyer Assistance Program (HAP) provides: · identification of prospective program participants; · evaluation of their individual home ownership barriers; · development and monitoring of "case management plans" to overcome individual barriers; · access to conventional mortgage resources; · provision of direct financial assistance to offset portions of the down payment and closing costs required for home purchase; · one-on-one counseling of every applicant based on the individual client needs referred to HOH; · counseling program which includes pre- and post-budget analysis, assessment of affordability and preparation for loan application. The HAP assists low to moderate income individuals/families (over come) one or more of the following major barriers to home ownership: · inability to accumulate cash for down payment and closing costs; · evidence of past credit problems or the absence of traditional credit; · current over extension on bills when standard ratios are applied; · marginal income particularly from verifiable sources.

2000-2311 Renaissance Center
Houston, Texas
Contact: Margie L. Bingham (713) 868-8305

The Renaissance Center, a community-based development, is a grocery store anchored retail center of 104,000 square feet. The center encompasses a 9.6 acre site in the Third Ward area of Houston, southeast of downtown. Tenants include HEB Pantry grocery, the State of Texas, a medical clinic, national and local retailers, and Taco Bell restaurant. The project is a joint venture development of two community development corporations. All market studies suggested that the project would not succeed, however, they were proved wrong. The HEB grocery store is consistently one of the company's top 3 (out of 70) producing stores in the greater Houston region. The store became the #1 producer, within 3 months. A thirty-percent (30%) expansion is now underway.

There was not a grocery store or retail shopping center in the Third Ward community. The neighboring communities of Third Ward collaborated to develop an entity, a community development corporation to develop the center.

2000-2385 Spanish translation of brochure on commonly asked questions/answers on HUD, FHA and homeownership
Houston, Texas
Fernando Castillo (713) 313-2274

This brochure is mailed on a daily basis to the public seeking such needed information, and is now available in the much-needed Spanish translation of the English version

2000-1744 Billie Joyce Multi-Purpose Neighborhood Networks Center at Cleme Manor Apartments

The center works with its Partners to assess and meet the needs of the community by providing educational and training resources.

2000-1387 Settegast Heights Neighborhood Networks Center

Space for 19 computer stations, an office and common area used for activities.

2000-2090 Villa Americana Apartments Neighborhood Network Center

Educational, Job Preparation and After School Tutoring.

Content Archived: April 20, 2011