by Adolfo Pesquera

Richmond (Fort Bend Co.) – The Fort Bend Women’s Center is one of six applicants in the county hoping to be approved for state tax credit financing, but the agency has run into opposition from NIMBYs.

Residents of Long Meadow Farms, a single family housing subdivision that the project backs up to, have been signing onto a Change.org petition to stop the 104-unit low income housing project.

Opponents have falsely claim in the petition that there is “zero data on this type of housing project,” and only half the units are for women and children, with the other half dedicated to agencies from Houston. Residents claim there was a lack of notification; that the size of the development has been misrepresented and is “still not disclosed”; that nearby Adolphus Elementary is already overcrowded; traffic would be negatively impacted; there are “too many apartment complexes being built in the area that are not fully occupied”; site would be known to “abusers” creating safety issues; only developers benefit; a high density, low income development would negatively impact property values; sets a precedent for other low income projects coming into area.

That’s not the whole list of gripes, but before continuing it should be pointed out that applications to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for the 9 percent tax credit financing are very competitive and well documented. According to the 355-page application, which is public record, the Fort Bend Women’s Center has partnered with Covenant Community Capital Corp. (both are Texas 501c3 non-profits) to develop a $20.15 million real estate development. The lenders are Hudson Housing Capital and Amegy Bank.

The tax credit sought from the state is about $1.5 million. The total construction contract is $11,924,765.

Fort Bend Women’s Center got the property under contract in January from the seller, A&D Partners LLC of Katy, and the closing date was stipulated as being on or before Sept. 30. The TDHCA will have announced the eligible projects by the end of July.

Preliminary architectural designs provided by Houston-based The Clerkley Watkins Group show six two-story buildings with a total area of 166,314 square feet. This is a 20.37-acre site with 193 parking spaces.

The buildings are configured in a rectangle that will have a large center court that will include a swimming pool and patio.

Distribution of the individual units is described as 21 one-bedroom, 93 two-bedroom, and 64 three-bedroom untis.

The project name is Magnolia Gardens and it is located at the corner of Skinner Lane and West Bellfort Street, with ingress-egress to both streets.

Rents will range from 30 to 80 percent of the area median family income. These projects do not get accepted by TDHCA without a documented showing of support from the community and the Women’s Center lined up its support.

There are letters of support from Fort Bend County Commissioners Court (dated Feb. 9, 2016); City of Houston in whose ETJ the project is located (Feb. 24); District 28 Texas Rep. John Zerwas, MD (Feb. 29); Ft. Bend County Child Advocates Inc. (Jan. 19); Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (Jan. 19); Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce (Jan. 19); Fort Bend Family Promise (Jan. 20); United Way of Greater Houston (Jan. 22).

In response to the opposition petition, the Fort Bend Women’s Center started its own Change.org petition. It emphasizes that this is not an emergency shelter: “residents will be past the emergency stage and in the rebuilding state, starting a new, violence-free life.”

It goes on to state that the community will be secured and gated with staff on site, including staff for the educational and emotional development of the children.

“All tenants will be domestic violence survivors from the Fort Bend Women’s Center and other local domestic violence agencies in the area. The tenant selection criterica will be used in conjunction with memorandums of understanding that FBWC has with other domestic violence agencies, and no one else.”

It closes by emphasizing that the community will not cause any additional danger to children in the neighborhood, and it responds directly to the opposition petition: “A recent petition based on misinformation and fear was initiated by several members of a local community. This petition is an attempt to offset that misinformation and show that many people support this project.”

The other five Fort Bend County affordable housing multifamily projects that are competing for TDHCA tax credit financing–by project name, location, type project and developer are:

• Huntington at Sienna Ranch, 6300 block of Sienna Ranch Road, 149-unit senior living, MGroup Holdings Inc.
• Provision at West Bellfort, south side of West Bellfort Avenue at Belknap Road, 144-unit general multifamily, Gardner Capital Development Texas LLC (GCI)
• Gala at Four Corners, north side of Old Richmond Road and west of Sugarbridge Trail, 90-unit senior living, Gardner Capital Development Texas LLC (GCI)
• Tuscany Park at Arcola, Post Oak Road, 96-unit general multifamily, MGroup Holdings Inc.
• Provision at Clodine Road, southeast corner of Boss Gaston Road and Clodine Road, 120-unit general multifamily, Gardner Capital Development Texas LLC (GCI)