Avenue’s mission is to build affordable homes and strengthen communities.
Avenue is one of the oldest and strongest agencies devoted to community revitalization in Houston. Since 1991, Avenue has partnered with the city, local businesses, foundations and community organizations on a wide variety of initiatives, with a focus on providing and maintaining affordable housing options for low- and moderate-income families and nurturing dynamic, inclusive, mixed-income communities. Our work has focused mainly on the neighborhoods directly north of Houston’s downtown. Our Homeownership Center provides HUD-certified homebuyer and homeowner education, foreclosure-prevention counseling and financial coaching. Avenue’s services enable people to strengthen their finances through improved credit scores, increased savings, paying down debt and building assets.
Avenue’s early efforts concentrated on the preservation of historic homes and other structures. We preserved such buildings, at times moving them from one neighborhood to another, and rehabbed them. Prominent projects include Fire Station No. 6 (built in 1931, the only historic, city-owned fire station building remaining today in Houston’s Old Sixth Ward) and Jefferson Davis Hospital (a State Archeological Landmark, built in 1924), both of which we converted into affordable apartments for low- and moderate-income residents.
Avenue also has a long history of redeveloping foreclosed and/or vacated properties into quality, affordable rental properties and homes for sale to low- and moderate-income families. In 2000, we constructed our first new-build multi-family apartment complex, Washington Courtyard. Since then we have built or redeveloped a total of 30 scattered-site rental units and seven apartment communities, including Fulton Gardens, which is dedicated exclusively to low-income seniors. In 2011, we began construction on our first development of affordable single-family homes, Avenue Place, converting an industrial 20-acre trucking depot into residential use and public green space.
The Mission
Avenue’s mission is to build affordable homes and strengthen communities. We improve our communities to enhance the quality of life of working families, and to promote Houston’s future as a world-class city of healthy, vibrant and economically diverse neighborhoods.
What Would You Do with $5,000 and a Day of Service?
We would work with Regions to determine what they would desire. There are many possibilities, including park or school cleanups, home rebuilding or painting projects, or other beautification projects that support our overall mission.