BRENHAM CITY COUNCIL VOTES 5-2 AGAINST BRENHAM JUNCTION HOUSING PROJECT

  

Worries about illegal aliens played a role in the Brenham City Council’s decision today (Thursday) to vote down a proposal for a mixed-income community housing project west of Brenham, the third rejection of new tax-credit housing in as many years.

Trinity Housing Development, the designers of Brenham Junction, sought to build a 48-unit, non-age-restricted complex on the north side of Highway 290, west of Westwood Lane, and needed a resolution of support from the council in order to secure state funding for the project.  Shannan Canales and Leah Cook voted in favor of allowing the complex to proceed, with the other five councilmembers voting against. 

Much of the council’s discussion revolved around the possibility of the housing being offered to illegal immigrants and if non-local applicants would end up moving in through the government voucher system. 

Brenham Housing Authority (BHA) Executive Director Ben Menjares said part of the BHA’s application process requires a birth certificate, social security number, driver’s license and at least one family member to be a United States citizen or legal resident.  He said while that would not stop a situation from a family with only one legal citizen from moving in, the amount of assistance is prorated to where only that one person would receive the subsidized assistance; the others would have to pay the full amount.

Trinity Housing Development Vice President Michael Fogel said the project would be required to accept vouchers, but the developer’s other projects typically have very few residents who use them.  He said they would communicate with the BHA in order to encourage local applicants, which usually make up a large majority of the referrals received.  Menjares added that the BHA’s voucher budget is limited, and other housing authorities typically do not want to have to go through all of the paperwork of sending residents to the BHA unless it can absorb the cost.  He said in those situations, it is usually from somewhere within this area of the state.

Approximately half of the 48 one- to three-bedroom units in Brenham Junction would have been bound to tax credit rent and income restrictions at or below 60 percent Area Median Income (AMI).  Fourteen units would have gone for full market rate, and the remaining 10 would be considered workforce housing, or 80 percent AMI. 

Fogel said the tax credit funding system would be a stable method to bring new housing supply into Brenham beyond market-rate properties that are at the mercy of the changing economy.

When the project was first brought before the council last month, Fogel said Trinity would ask for a property tax abatement from the city and county for additional support.  However, that contingency was later removed from consideration. 

Brenham | Washington County Economic Development Director Susan Cates said Brenham has not added any new tax credit or workforce housing, not counting age-restricted developments or Brenham Housing Authority-led renovations or replacements of existing units, since 2002.

Brian Fathauer was one of the residents who spoke at the meeting, asking “when is enough enough” when it comes to subsidized housing and saying the city should not pursue projects like this when it is nearing its limit on new water customers that can be served.

Blake Brannon of Brannon Industrial Group said the council should take more time to explore ideas presented by Councilmember Clint Kolby on behalf of the city’s housing task force, including container housing, reduced lot sizes, and allowing duplexes in single-family zoned areas.

Councilmember Atwood Kenjura said he would like to delay any action on projects such as this until the council is sure they are the best alternative.

Canales asked the council where a solution it would agree with would come from, and said by rejecting this, it is going to “kick the same can down the road over and over again.”

The council’s vote today follows a rejection of a tax credit home development on Pecan Street in 2021, and a workforce housing community that would have been located on Prairie Lea Street in 2022.

Also at today’s meeting, the council:

• Accepted a bid from KRPS Contractors, LLC for the Brenham Family Park Main Creek Crossing project for $271,732.
• Approved final payment of $26,132 to Carlson McClain Construction Company for the rehabilitation of the two Henderson Park pedestrian bridges. The total contract amount was $163,400.
• Accepted a bid from Dudley Construction, LLC for $1,130,000 for the Stone Hollow lift station project.  The approval is contingent on the city’s acquisition of property for the relocation of the lift station.
• Accepted a bid from D&S Contracting, Inc. in the amount of $924,932 for the Stone Hollow force main and Ralston Creek gravity sewer crossing.
• Approved a professional services agreement between the city and McCord Engineering, Inc. for the Lower Colorado River Authority load shedding upgrade in an amount not to exceed $57,000.
• Approved a license agreement between the city and Brenham Market Square, LP related to the construction of a multi-tenant pylon ground sign. 

Click here to view the agenda packet for Thursday's meeting.