Houston to fund $10 million of $27 million Jensen revitalization
HOUSTON – Mayor Sylvester Turner and City Council on October 6, 2021 have approved $10 million to rehabilitate W. Leo Daniels Tower. Built at 8826 Harrell Street more than 40 years ago, this community of 100 apartment homes serves very low- and extremely low-income Houstonians who are elderly and/or disabled. This rehabilitation, completed through the City of Houston’s Harvey Multifamily Program, will bring investment to an asset in disrepair and establish resilient, high-quality housing where it is much needed, helping people stay in their community.
“The existing housing units are old and located in an area where affordable housing is desperately needed,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We recognized that need as a City and are glad to assist, because it will require much more resources than a typical rehabilitation. The City supports these communities and the resulting benefit of improved housing for vulnerable residents. Rehabilitating older properties instead of demolishing and creating new developments is a wonderful way for neighborhoods to keep their character and local history.”
The rehabilitated complex will provide studio and one-bedroom apartments. With support from a program through the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, residents will pay no more than 30% of their income in rent. The complex is adjacent to a church, which will offer supportive services, programming, hot meals, and transportation for residents.
The Harvey Multifamily Program expands and preserves Houston’s supply of affordable rental homes that will be safe from future storms with manageable rental rates for low- and moderate-income renters. The program, which began accepting applications for developments in early 2019, is funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and overseen by the Texas General Land Office.
The total cost of rehabilitation for W. Leo Daniels Tower is approximately $27 million. Most of the other funding is provided through tax credits and private lenders.
For additional information on the developments funded through Houston’s Harvey Multifamily Program, please see recovery.houstontx.gov/ multifamily.
The City of Houston Housing and Community Development (HCDD) makes long-term investments to improve the lives of Houston residents by creating opportunities for every Houstonian to have a home they can afford in a community where they can thrive. Our department will invest approximately $450 million in federal, state, and local funds this fiscal year to construct and maintain affordable homes, reduce barriers to home ownership, support the work of social service providers, build public amenities, and facilitate disaster recovery efforts. Learn more about programs and resources for Houstonians at www.houstontx.gov/housing.