Housing Authority updates: Rosewood, Santa Rita and Chalmers redevelopment progress and resident protections

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) presented March 11 to the Community Development Commission on the status of three public-housing redevelopment projects — Chalmers Courts, Rosewood Courts and Santa Rita Courts — including construction progress, preservation strategies, homeownership components and relocation protections.

Anne Gass, HACA’s director of strategic housing initiatives, said the redevelopment of Chalmers Courts is complete and occupied. She described Rosewood Courts as an active redevelopment featuring three program elements: new-construction rental buildings (adding capacity and modern systems), preservation and restoration of historically significant 1939 buildings, and a Habitat for Humanity–led homeownership component. Gass said the site will offer 184 rental units plus 12 homeownership units (a total of 196 units), restoring previously existing units on a one-for-one basis while adding about 60 new rental units.

Gass described preservation work at Rosewood that restores exterior features to the 1939 appearance under the direction of a historic architect and removes legacy lead-based paint safely.…