Harvey Multifamily Program
Percentage of Houstonians who rent their homes
On average, renter households struggle to find affordable options more than homeowners. 46% of renter households spend 30% or more of their monthly income on housing. 23% spend 50% or more. Three-fifths of children live in rental units. So do two-thirds of Houston’s foreign-born population.
Houston was short on affordable multifamily homes before Hurricane Harvey. Now, our need is even more urgent. The Harvey Multifamily Program will create and rehabilitate multifamily apartment homes. These new and refurbished units will stay affordable to low- and moderate-income residents for at least 40 years.
Map of Selected Developments
The first round of funding for multifamily development opened in February 2019 and closed April 12, 2019. Fifty-six applications were reviewed and 15 were selected for funding. The selected developments will create 1,604 apartments in Houston, the majority of which will be rented at guaranteed-affordable rates to qualified renters.
The second round for multifamily development opened in January 2020 and closed March 13, 2020. From the pool of applications, 15 were selected for funding, announced in two periods in June, 2020. The selected developments will create 1,944 apartment units. With these awards, nearly all program funding has been exhausted.
In total, the 30 projects that have received funding will create over 3,500 units, including over 3,100 units reserved for low- and moderate-income households. By combining program funding with other sources, including 4% and 9% tax credits and private financing, the awards represent over $1 billion in development.
Funding Timeline
June 2019 | September 2019 | January 2020 | June 2020 |
---|---|---|---|
1st round applications | 1st round projects announced | 2nd round applications | 2rd round applications announced |
Applicants applied to this program through a series of Notices of Funding Availability (NOFAs) and application periods. Information about these NOFAs can be found on the contracting page.
Requirements
Developments must:
- Rent at least half of their units to low-income renters for at least 20 years.
- Give workers protections as laid out in the Build Houston Better Program .
- Align with the City’s Multifamily Development Principles.
- Manage Davis-Bacon, Section 3, and MWSBE requirements.
- Comply with green building standards.
The City prioritizes developments that:
- Leverage other financing sources.
- Create mixed income housing opportunities.
- Are close to public transit and highly rated schools.
- Reinvest in Complete Communities and other Community Reinvestment Areas.
- Are located in areas where real estate values are rising and where many moderate- and low-income residents need affordable options.
- Protect from future flooding and climate concerns.
For details, please see our Compliance page
News
City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) is announcing changes to Round 2 of its Harvey Multifamily Program
HOUSTON – The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) is announcing changes to Round 2 of its Harvey Multifamily Program, due to…
Read MoreThe Harvey Recovery Small Rental Program Awards $20M to Nonprofit Housing Developers to Create Up to 14 Affordable Apartment Communities
HOUSTON – The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) will select up to 14 developments to receive funding as Round 1 of…
Read More5 Additional Properties Added to Round 2 of the City’s Harvey Multifamily Program, Creating Another 700 Rental Units for Houstonians
HOUSTON – The City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) will allocate an additional $54,560,000 to support five more proposals to bring over…
Read MoreCity of Houston selects 4 more developments that create affordable apartments with federal funds for Harvey recovery
Round 1 of the City’s Harvey Multifamily Program includes $163 million of investment that will create 1,604 apartments Houston will soon have many more affordable,…
Read MoreDisaster Recovery (DR-17) Multifamily Rental Program Guidelines
Draft Guidelines for Proposed Programs: Hurricane Harvey The City of Houston will receive $1,175,954,338 in Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds for assisting…
Read MoreApplication Log & Documents
Document Name | Last Updated |
---|---|
Program Overview | November 4th, 2019 |
Program Guidelines | April 30th, 2020 |
Application Log: 2019 Multifamily NOFA (DR-17) | April 23rd, 2019 |
2019 Multifamily NOFA (DR-17) Map | May 2019 |