City of Houston and partners welcome two new small rental communities for low—to moderate-income Houstonians New missing middle development adds to the local affordable home inventory

March 7, 2024 -- Houston, Texas -- City of Houston officials, SBP leaders, and partners gathered earlier today to celebrate the groundbreaking of Old Spanish Trail (OST) and Tabor Street, two new small rental communities for low—to moderate-income Houstonians.

OST, 3500 Old Spanish Trail, Houston, 77021, is a forthcoming seven-unit rental community located in the vibrant OST/Almeda neighborhood near the Texas Medical Center. This small rental development will offer affordable home options for working families often priced out of quality housing markets. The units are a mix of one and two-bedrooms serving residents at or below 80 percent of the area's median income.

OST is one of two small rental collaborations between the City of Houston and SBP, a national disaster recovery and resilience nonprofit. The City of Houston proudly contributed $4.5 million of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Harvey Disaster Relief (DR-17) funds toward the acquisition and construction of these small rental communities.

Construction on Tabor Street, 1404 Tabor Street, Houston, 77009, a seven-unit rental community in north Houston, began in 2023. Tabor Street is in the charming Brooke Smith neighborhood of Greater Heights and is within walking distance of a park, community center, and various retail options.

The developments will have a focus on energy efficiency, which will include energy-efficient appliances in all units, incorporate green building practices in accordance with the ENERGY STAR Multifamily standards, and contain a ~25Kw Solar Energy System. The two properties will also be constructed using resilient-building techniques, including being built to FORTIFIED Gold Multifamily standards. Additionally, a Resident Service Coordinator will be available to help connect residents to various services, including social services, health care, employment, and transportation as well as help connect households with school-age children to after-school programs along with other educational resources.

Both OST and Tabor Street communities are considered Missing Middle developments, a transformative concept highlighting the need for diverse housing choices in high-opportunity neighborhoods. Missing Middle developments are essential to providing low—to moderate-income families with access to higher-quality employment, education, local transit, and social opportunities in the communities in which they live.

“Our mission is to create affordable home options for Houstonians, but that’s not always easy when home prices are on the rise and land availability is limited,” said Director Keith Bynam, Housing and Community Development. “This is why it’s important to consider innovative solutions in housing developments. We are proud to partner with SBP to offer Houstonians these missing middle communities where residents can enjoy multifamily community amenities within a single-family residential setting.”

“We are particularly excited to be bringing these resilient, energy-efficient, fortified, affordable apartment communities to market in Houston not only because they meet the needs of displaced renters who have been displaced by Hurricane Harvey, but also because they leverage the power of public-private partnerships to realize a shared vision of building Houston forward into a more equitable, resilient future,” said SBP Chief Financial Officer Keith McCulloch.

SBP was founded in 2006 in New Orleans in response to Hurricane Katrina. It initially prioritized helping survivors rebuild homes damaged by natural disasters and initiatives to build or rehabilitate resilient rental housing and for-sale homes for low—and moderate-income renters and homebuyers. SBP has been operating in Houston since 2017, when it launched programs in response to Hurricane Harvey that have, to date, repaired and rebuilt 450 homes for survivors.

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.