Council donates 7.65 acres to Habitat for Humanity for affordable‑housing development
Loading...
Summary
Council approved donation of roughly 7.65 acres to Habitat for Humanity for a planned affordable‑housing development; Habitat representatives estimated about 40 houses and projected new tax base growth.
The Odessa City Council approved the donation of approximately 7.65 acres of city‑owned land to Habitat for Humanity to support construction of workforce/affordable housing.
City staff described the parcel as catty‑corner to Pool Road and said a reverter clause is included so the property reverts to the city if it is not used for the intended affordable‑housing purpose. Joey Hopkins and Erica Gonzales (Habitat board vice president) spoke in support of the donation. Hopkins said Habitat has capacity and prior experience in the region and provided a back‑of‑the‑envelope estimate that the development could yield about 40 houses, increase the tax base (from a current assessed value of about $213,000 for the raw parcel to an estimated $9 million in finished value) and generate ongoing property taxes for taxing entities.
Council members and city staff discussed procedural matters including the lot‑by‑lot release process at closing; staff said each lot sale will require council action to release property lot by lot and to confirm continued public‑purpose use. The motion to donate the property passed unanimously.
