A Catalyst for Change
New Hope Development Offers Fresh Start, Affordable Housing, and Access to Transit
In March of this year, New Hope Housing (NHH) opened its new Harrisburg apartment community, along METRORail’s Green Line in Houston’s historic East End. The modern building and its surroundings are a juxtaposition of past and present. Every few minutes a light-rail train sounds its horn as it passes by the community and the late 19th century homes and warehouses that encircle it.
In the background sits the soon to be closed Atlantic Coffee Solutions. For more than seven decades, the factory, which at one time housed a Ford Model T assembly plant, has enveloped the neighborhood with the distinct smell of roasting coffee beans, an aroma ingrained into the memories of countless Houstonians.
At first glance, it would be easy to assume the contemporary structure, with its green and purple exterior, is just another upscale development that has sprouted in a rapidly gentrifying neighborhood.
The gated property features lush landscaping, first floor retail spaces, along with gardens and outdoor spaces for residents. However, NHH Harrisburg is an affordable housing community that offers singles living on limited incomes fully-furnished studio apartments.
“A home changes everything,” said NHH President and CEO Joy Horak-Brown. “Once people have a place to call their own, a place they can be proud of, they can move forward to heal other parts of their life. Our goal is to help people climb out of a tenuous life situation, so they can re-purpose and stabilize their lives.”
In addition to providing safe, high-quality, affordable housing, Harrisburg and its seven sister communities offer residents access to social services including case management and counseling, primary and behavioral health care, as well as life skills and education classes. Each community also features a front desk staffed 24/7, business center, library, TV/dining room, food pantry, and courtyard.
NHH residents are a diverse group which includes veterans, seniors living on fixed incomes, young people who have aged out of foster care, the disabled, and the working poor who are dependent on minimum wage jobs. The construction of a new apartment community in south Houston has now allowed the organization to serve at-risk families as well.
“Some residents need long-term housing where they can live on a fixed income and age in place,” said Horak-Brown. “Others need temporary housing, so they can get back on their feet before they move on to traditional housing. We cater to both.”
When choosing the site for Harrisburg, Horak-Brown said easy access to public transportation, specifically light rail, was a key factor. Proximity to transit frees Harrisburg residents from the financial burden of car ownership which cost the average American more than $10,000 per year. More than 90 percent of Harrisburg’s 175 residents use the local bus and light-rail system to commute to jobs, medical appointments, and social activities.
"Light-rail ridership at METRO's nearby Coffee Plant/Second Ward Station increased by 87 percent — more than 11,000 rides — over the previous year."
Ida Watson is one of those residents. She relies exclusively on METRO for transportation. Each day, the 62-year old leaves her apartment and boards a light-rail train before transferring to a local bus that takes her to her full-time job at a large retail store near River Oaks.
"It’s a real lifesaver. I’d be in big trouble if I didn’t have METRO,” stated Watson. “It is my only way of getting to work and around this city.”
Watson said being so close to the rail line is convenient and it also gives her peace of mind.
“I’m a single lady. Sometimes I work late into the night, so it’s nice to have a stop near my apartment building. The area around the building is brightly lit, and we have 24-hour security, so I feel safe.”
Just months after the opening of New Hope Housing Harrisburg, light rail ridership at METRO’s nearby Coffee Plant/Second Ward Station increased by 87 percent — more than 11,000 rides — over the previous year. The increase illustrates the enormous impact just one transit-oriented development can have on how much people use transit.
Horak-Brown adds that working to solve homelessness benefits all of society.
“The city spends more than $100 million each year on police calls, emergency hospital care, mental health services and more to respond to the issue of chronic "street" homelessness. If homeless persons are housed the City could save $70 million," she said. "Affordable supportive housing contributes to significant economic impacts like revitalizing neighborhoods, creating jobs, building new tax revenues, and spurring additional development. These communities are a catalyst for positive change.”
This story was originally featured in METRO Connections: September 2018. To subscribe to future issues, click here.