Independence Heights residents, leaders urge housing authority not to terminate Columbia Residential MOU

Community leaders and residents of Independence Heights urged Houston officials on Feb. 4 not to terminate an agreement with Columbia Residential for an affordable housing project, saying the project honors a late community leader's work and that switching developers would delay construction and risk tax-credit financing.

Natasha Johnson, who said she has lived in Independent Heights 67 years, told the council the community opposes the housing authority resolution (identified in public remarks as Resolution 3858) and asked why the item was placed on the agenda without more notice. "None of us were nobody responded to us, nobody gave us a letter, nobody gave us a head up," she said.

Several speakers, including Danny Asbury, Jerome Nickerson and Fred Woods, asked the council to preserve the existing plan and to honor Tanya DuBose, a local leader who recently died and who they said had helped advance the project. Asbury urged the housing authority to vote no on the resolution to terminate the MOU with Columbia Residential, saying termination would "disrupt years of careful planning." Nickerson, a longtime resident and pastor, called the neighborhood "historic" and urged officials to protect its continuity.

Councilmember Castillo said the item had been discussed at a separate meeting and that a one-week delay had occurred while questions were being resolved. He said he was "very committed to seeing that this development is built" and that he had received a commitment from the housing authority that "this project will be built." Councilmember Plummer provided background on inspections and tax-credit mechanics and warned that replacing the developer could eliminate previously awarded 4% tax credits and that Columbia had already invested about $2 million in predevelopment costs.

Plummer said the health department inspections of a separate Columbia property, 2100 Memorial, had found no systemic violations and characterized the reported rat issue as an isolated, remediated incident in two units. Plummer and others emphasized that switching developers could require new requests for proposals, new plans and delays that could make the project financially unworkable for affordable units.

Councilmember Thomas urged the community to remain engaged and promised continued support for keeping housing affordable in the neighborhood. Council members said they would collect factual questions and suggested drafting a joint letter to the housing authority to request information and assurances about the project's timeline, financing and developer qualifications.

Ending

Council members urged residents to stay involved during the coming week while they and housing authority staff answered outstanding questions; several members offered to sign a letter requesting clarity from the housing authority.