By P.J. WILLIAMS
The North Forest area will soon be welcoming new neighbors. Texas ACORN Housing broke ground Thursday on ACORN Mesa Homes. Within the next two years, 89 new single-family homes will sit on the 18.3 acres near the 9600 block of Mesa Road and E. Tidwell.
The first three homes will be built on Rinn Road with scheduled completion planned for May. The next phase will be the completion of ten homes by August with five homes a month after that.
The subdivision will have new infrastructure such as utilities, water, sanitary sewer, storm water drainage. The water, sewer, and streets will then belong to the city of Houston. The construction of streets and infrastructure should be completed by mid-June. The sub-division will have an organized, Home Owners Association (HOA) with deed restrictions.
All homes will be single family homes, built on 5,000 square foot lots. Houses will range from 1,234 sq. ft. to 1,905 sq. ft. Units will be one and two-story, brick on three sides, 3 or 4 bedrooms, 2 or 2.5 bathrooms, with attached 2 car garage. Homes will have individual wood fence back yards.
The homes range in price from $100,000 to $113,000. However, home buyers may be eligible for down payment assistance. Through ACORN Housing, families that qualify will receive down payment and closing cost assistance of as much $7,500 to $10,000 to purchase a new home in the ACORN Subdivision. Eugene Mendoza, Housing Development Coordinator said, These private funds are awarded through a Federal Home Loan Bank Foundation (AHP) grant provided to the project by our financial partners JP Morgan Chase Bank and World Savings, members of the FHLB system. Some families may also quality for additional City of Houston public funds of $10,000 to $15,000 dollars of down payment assistance to buy an ACORN Home.
With the down payment assistance, the mortgages will be $81,829 to $995,192. The monthly payments, including the estimated loan payment, local taxes, insurance, and mortgage insurance, will range from $885 to $1,002 dollars per month.
The target buyers for these homes are families of four making 50% of the Area Medium Income, 46 units, and families of four making 80% of Area Medium Income, 43 units.
The homes are built by Majestic Home Builders, Inc. who has been a leader in building quality affordable housing in Houston since 1994. Majestic guaranties plumbing, electricity, AC/Heat and leaksvfor the first year The house also carries a ten year limited warranty for slab construction. There are other warranties on Sears appliances and the AC equipment.
Texas ACORN Housing Corporation (TXAHC) is a Texas 501 (C) (3) non-profit Community Housing Development Organization (CHDO) .
Texas ACORN Housing Corporation the owner and developer of the project is an affiliate organization of ACORN HOUSING CORPORATION (AHC) a national non profit corporation that has been providing, since 1987, free housing counseling to families that are low and moderate-income, first time homebuyers. Mendoza said, ACORN Housing, has opened HUD-certified, Fannie Mae-approved housing counseling offices across the US, helping over 50,000 families to achieve homeownership.
ACORN, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, founded in 1970, is the nations largest community organization of low and moderate-income families, working together for social justice and stronger communities.
ACORN Housing has successfully developed other single-family housing projects in Chicago, ILL, Phoenix, AZ, and New York City and is working in 30 major cities in serving low to moderate-income households in the home buying markets across America, said, Mendoza.
For more information on ACORN MESA ROAD SUBDIVISION or the free housing counseling program please call 713- 863-9002 or 713-349-0760, Mon. Fri. 9:00 am 5:30 pm