State unveils more than 200 new, renovated affordable housing units in SE Texas

Kaitlin Bain, Staff writer
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Members of the GLO, ITEX - the property management company for Pebble Creek Apartments in Port Arthur - and Mayor Thurman Bartie gathered at the complex for a ribbon cutting and celebration of the final repairs that were made after Harvey using money from the GLO's disaster recovery assistance program. $16 million in grants were made available for multi-family dwelling repairs or new construction. Thirteen such units in Jefferson County - at least 5 of which were located in Port Arthur - benefitted from the program. Photo made Wednesday, June 16, 2021 Kim Brent/The Enterprise
1of17Members of the GLO, ITEX - the property management company for Pebble Creek Apartments in Port Arthur - and Mayor Thurman Bartie gathered at the complex for a ribbon cutting and celebration of the final repairs that were made after Harvey using money from the GLO's disaster recovery assistance program. $16 million in grants were made available for multi-family dwelling repairs or new construction. Thirteen such units in Jefferson County - at least 5 of which were located in Port Arthur - benefitted from the program. Photo made Wednesday, June 16, 2021 Kim Brent/The EnterpriseKim Brent / The Enterprise

Southeast Texas now has more than 200 new apartment units for local families who meet federal low- to moderate-income thresholds.

The units are part of the recently-completed construction of two apartment complexes funded by federal grant money administered by the Texas General Land Office. The complexes are intended to replace affordable rental housing that was damaged or destroyed by Tropical Storm Harvey.

The GLO allocated nearly $7.5 million to repair the 208-unit Pebble Creek Apartments in Port Arthur and just more than $8.7 million to construct the SilverLeaf in Orange, an 80-unit senior apartment community, according to a GLO news release.

Across the two complexes, just more than three-quarters of the available units are guaranteed for residents who meet the federal low- to moderate-income threshold.

The construction and rehabilitation is a part of an effort to use $588 million in federal funds to rehabilitate and construct 80 apartment complexes across 48 counties, not including Harris County, that were damaged or destroyed by Harvey.

The effort will result in 6,002 usable rental homes, 80% of which are guaranteed to low- to moderate-income residents for 20 years if the units were newly constructed or 15 years if they were repaired, the release said.

A family is considered low- to moderate-income if they earn 80% less than the area median family income. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income in Beaumont is $50,632.

kaitlin.bain@beaumontenterprise.com

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