New Hope Housing (NHH) Dale Carnegie is helping both its residents and its city rebuild.
The Houston development features 170 affordable studio apartments for vulnerable individuals living on limited or no income, including 100 permanent supportive housing units for people who have been chronically homeless and are among the most challenging to house.
It was also one of the first affordable housing developments to break ground in the city after the devastation of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. The new development is located in an area where more than 40% of the housing units were damaged by the hurricane, according to New Hope Housing. The nonprofit has developed one family housing community and eight single-room occupancy developments for the neediest, including NNH Dale Carnegie.
“This project is a culmination of all of our lessons learned over the past 20-plus years of developing this particular housing type,” says Emily Abeln, vice president of real estate development at NHH.
Located in a quiet neighborhood yet close to amenities, NHH Dale Carnegie is a LEED Gold building. The furnished apartments are between 280 and 360 square feet and include free utilities, cable TV access, a refrigerator, a microwave, and a private bathroom. Services are a key component of the development, with residents having access to a full range of programs, including addressing food insecurities, case management, counseling, access to primary health care and mental health services, financial management, and life-skills training.
Apartments at the $30.3 million development are restricted to residents earning 30%, 50%, and 60% of the area median income. The 100 units that target formerly homeless individuals are covered by project-based vouchers, so residents pay just 30% of their income for rent.
“We focus heavily on the lived experience of design,” Abeln says. “Anybody can build a box and put a door and window on it. It takes a lot of thought and consideration to make the development a place that uplifts you in body, mind, and spirit.”
