City of Houston and partners celebrated the grand opening of a new apartment home community in Houston’s east end
October 13, 2022 -- Houston, Texas -- City of Houston officials and partners celebrated the grand opening of Hartwood at Canal, 5601 Canal St. Houston, TX 77011, in Houston’s Second Ward Complete Community earlier today.
The newly constructed community adds 150 apartment homes to the Houston housing inventory and includes 100 units reserved for families at or below 60% of the area median income.
“The City’s support of the east Houston area is strong, and we are proud to support Education Based Housing, Inc. in our mutual efforts to create additional affordable home opportunities for Houstonians,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “Despite the Covid-19 pandemic and an economic downturn, we have strong partnerships bringing homes, nature space, and resilience to the East End and Second Ward. We will continue to make strides toward our goal of adding 7,000 new affordable apartment homes in Houston by December 2023.”
Unit interiors include granite counters, Energy Star‐rated stainless steel kitchen appliances, crown molding, 9‐foot ceilings, washers and dryers, garden tubs, and walk‐in closets. The property features several amenities, including a spacious clubroom, swimming pool, fitness facility, media/game room, children’s after-school activities, adult education classes, and much more at no cost to tenants.
“We are happy to invest in communities that are centrally located, near schools, grocery stores, hiking trails, metro stops, and health centers,” said Director Keith Bynam, Housing and Community Development (HCD). “These neighborhood amenities like those within two miles of Hartwood at Canal ensure Houstonians have access to what they need and contribute to the quality of life they deserve.”
The development is a mixed-income apartment community with a podium-style design and is constructed to meet ICC 700 National Green Building Standards and will contribute to the city’s resiliency and long-term recovery efforts post-Harvey.
The City of Houston contributed $12 million in Community Block Development Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR17) funds to the total $34.4 million construction cost of this development.
CBDG-DR17 funds are awarded by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, through the Texas General Land Office to provide affordable rental units for low-to-moderate-income households within the city of Houston boundaries that were directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey. The funds are administered by Houston’s Harvey Multifamily Program.
Education Based Housing, Inc. (EBH) combines three basic components: education, housing, and job skills training to help Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed (ALICE) households with access to quality housing and tools to help them sustainably thrive.
Blazer is a Houston‐based, long‐term owner of affordable apartment communities led by H. Chris Richardson. Blazer was established in 1978 as a general contracting company focused on building multifamily communities and other commercial products.
The City of Houston Housing and Community Development (HCD) department 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 homeownership, support the work of social service providers, build public amenities, and facilitate disaster recovery efforts. Learn more about programs and resources for Houstonians at http://houstontx.gov/housing.
