BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS RESOLUTION FOR TAX CREDIT APARTMENTS
The Brenham City Council will vote Thursday on whether to issue a resolution of support for a 52-unit subsidized apartment project in the city.
(courtesy KCG)
At their last meeting, councilmembers were split on the prospects of The Bluebonnet, a workforce housing community that would be located on 6.11 acres on Prairie Lea Street, coming into Brenham. The project is led by KCG Development, who is requesting 9 percent low income housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).
The 52 apartment units would be approximately 800-1,200 square feet each, and would range between 1 bed-1 bath and 3 bed-2 bath. The community would include secured entry, full perimeter fencing, a fitness center, a business center and outdoor recreational features such as a swimming pool, gazebos, barbecue grills and picnic tables.
Forty-six of the units would be priced at income brackets of 30 percent, 50 percent and 60 percent Area Median Income. The other six would be market value. Prospective tenants would need to income-qualify and pass both financial background checks and criminal background checks. Restrictions of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program disallow full-time student households from occupying units.
Brenham has a total of 532 subsidized housing units. However, according to Brenham | Washington County Economic Development Director Susan Cates, only 76 of them are not part of the Brenham Housing Authority or age-restricted to the elderly.
Since the city has over two times the state average of housing tax credits per capita, the council must issue a resolution of support in order for the project to proceed with funding from the TDHCA.
In other items, the council will hold a work session to receive a presentation on a potential facility naming policy for the city. The policy would apply to all city facilities, including parks, and would have separate categories to determine the criteria for appropriate naming, such as historical importance and community involvement.
Also at Thursday’s meeting, the council will:
- Hold an executive session to discuss utility competitive matters regarding the city’s gas utility system, gas supply and transportation arrangements and agreements.
- Consider rejecting all bids submitted in response to the Hohlt Park and Henderson Park pedestrian bridge rehabilitation project. Only one bid was submitted for the project, and it was over the city’s budgeted amount.
- Act on a resolution repealing a 1982 resolution that created the Brenham Airport Advisory Association, as well as an ordinance repealing an order in 2000 that approved the bylaws of the Airport Advisory Board. Several documents related to the airport board are needing to be repealed or amended, after the council approved the dissolution of the board in January.
- Proclaim the month of February as Fair Housing Month.
The council will meet Thursday at 1 p.m. at Brenham City Hall.
Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.
Brenham city council is just like we suspected. They say “yes” to everything. Above I just read that we already more than meet the state requirements for low income housing. I drove here on weekends for three years to plan my move for work an a home in Brenham. I made a plan. Just because you want to move here on Monday and show up WE don’t have to accommodate your not so well thought out decisions. And WE don’t need to start littering this town with low income Biden housing on every corner. I will not vote again for three specific people on the council again. When you have to make a rule that you can’t miss meetings tells citizens all we need to know. Your such a disappointment.
Ya’ll better talk to your council people on this. I just learned that YOU DO NOT EVEN HAVE TO BE A LEGAL RESIDENT to be able to live at this kind of apartment. Don’t kid yourselfs. This isn’t for working people like teachers and factory people. This is Biden money. Our schools in Brenham are already going downhill. It’s only going to get worse. We have too much housing like this already. Why are they always wanting to build these kinds of places in Brenham? Who is benefiting from this? Follow the money people.
Yes I’m sure Joe Biden is in the oval seriously discussing with his advisors the housing policy of Brenham, TX.
A resident on the lease has to pass a background check, so it’s more restrictive than market rate rental housing. The federal subsidy was created in 1986 by the Reagan administration and it is administered at the state level by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Its executives are appointed by the Texas governor.