The Housing Authority of Travis County hosted a ribbon-cutting celebration Thursday morning to honor the completion of the $10.4 million rehabilitation of two of its affordable housing communities.
The project involved improvements to 51 units at Alexander Oaks in Oak Hill and 24 units at Summit Oaks Apartments in Northwest Austin. The units range from one- to four-bedroom and are offered at rates affordable to households earning 40 percent area median income.
With a resolution of support from the city of Austin, HATC received a 9 percent low-income housing tax credit award from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs in July 2017 to be used for renovation of the units. The total amount of the tax credits from TDHCA is $901,883.
The celebration was held at Alexander Oaks Apartments in Travis County’s Precinct 3, with Precinct 3 Commissioner Gerald Daugherty attending in support of the investments.
“I applaud the efforts of the Housing Authority of Travis County on diligently working to improve the quality of life for low-income families in Travis County,” Daugherty said.
HATC maintains and operates a total of three public housing communities, each within the Austin city limits.
The Commissioners Court created HATC in 1975 to provide housing and distribute financial assistance to low-income families. In addition to operating 105 public housing units and authorizing issuance of 568 housing choice vouchers through the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the housing authority also owns a 16-unit affordable housing development and a 33-unit affordable development for seniors, both in eastern Travis County.
Ann Denton, chair of the HATC Board of Commissioners, said the “rehabilitation of the units at both Alexander Oaks and Summit Oaks Apartments is an important milestone in the 44-year history of HATC, and supports our goal of preserving and maintaining affordable housing for Travis County residents for years to come.”
In an email, Patrick Howard, executive director of HATC, said he is proud of the work the agency is doing. He added that the ceremony on Thursday “was significant in that it represented the culmination of a more than two-year effort to secure funding for the wholesale rehabilitation of 75 units of affordable housing, originally constructed in 1980.”
Photo courtesy of the Housing Authority of Travis County.
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affordable housing: This general term refers to housing that is affordable to Austinites, with or without subsidy.
Travis County Commissioners Court: The legislative body for Travis County. It includes representatives from the four Travis County Precincts, as well as the County Judge. The County Judge serves as the chair of the Court.
