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About Us

Helping to change the narrative

Our mission is to provide life-stabilizing, affordable, permanent Housing + Services for people who live on very limited incomes.

New Hope’s vision for the future is so much broader than just housing.

From creating access to educational opportunities to partnering with leading organizations to ensure residents have the health care and social services they need– we’re helping to change the narrative for generations to come.

Our History

In 1993, the plight of homelessness was abundantly clear to the People of Christ Church Cathedral-Episcopal.

Church parishioners only needed to step outside of the Cathedral doors in the heart of downtown Houston, to understand how severe the issue of homelessness was for the city. Realizing it was a problem they could not ignore they set to work securing a decent place to live for those with no where to call home.

The solution began with a challenge - the Church asked their parishioners to participate in a dollar-for-dollar fundraising campaign to restore the historic Cathedral structure with the promise that for every $1 raised, $1 would be matched to invest in community solutions. They raised $1.25MM to incorporate New Hope Housing and build the first 40 units of single room occupancy (SRO) rental housing in Houston. This humble beginning launched three decades of serving Houston’s most vulnerable residents. We graciously acknowledge our friends at Christ Church Cathedral for laying the foundation needed to give hope to more than 13,000 people.

Timeline

New Hope Housing through the years

  • 1 of 16

    1995
    Hamilton

    NHH Hamilton established the model for SRO housing in the State of Texas. Built in three phases, Hamilton offered 129 studio efficiency apartment homes to almost 2,000 citizens and created New Hope Housing’s model for debt free housing in a supportive environment. This model allows us to keep rents low and to set a high standard for supportive services. Located 100 feet from Minute Maid Park, Hamilton was acquired by Jim Crane and the Houston Astros Partners in 2016 - permanently closing its doors in the summer of 2017 when residents moved to the newly constructed NHH Harrisburg.

  • 2 of 16

    2002
    Congress

    NHH Congress began as the 1926 Del May Hotel, across from Houston’s Union Station, now a part of Minute Maid Park. In 1998, the Downtown District incorporated Houston Area Community Development Corporation (HACDC) and renovated the hotel as SRO housing serving the homeless. In 2002, New Hope Housing assumed governance of Congress. The building briefly closed in 2009, re-opening in 2010 with 57 units of fully refreshed studio efficiency affordable housing in downtown Houston.

  • 3 of 16

    2005
    Canal

    NHH Canal opened in 2005 in the historic Second Ward/East End - one of Houston’s oldest neighborhoods. Canal offers 134 studio efficiency apartment homes. Located next door to Mama Ninfa’s original Mexican Restaurant and just off the Navigation esplanade pedestrian park, Canal features spacious gardens and community spaces and enhanced support services.

  • 4 of 16

    2010
    Brays Crossing

    In 2007 the City of Houston commissioned New Hope Housing to transform the deteriorating 1963 HouTex Inn on the I-45 Gulf Freeway into distinctive affordable housing. Deeply renovated, NHH Brays Crossing opened in 2010, offering 149 studio efficiency apartment homes. The property incorporates extensive public art displays — elegant steel murals depicting Mexican cultural themes and stained-glass punctuating the entryway, showcasing rich colors and noise-buffering practicality. In 2011, Brays was honored with Urban Land Institute’s international Award for Excellence in the Americas.

  • 5 of 16

    2010
    Sakowitz

    NHH Sakowitz is in the Greater Fifth Ward/Denver Harbor area on Sakowitz street, named after one of Houston’s most influential early families. Home to 166 studio efficiency affordable apartment homes in a park-like setting, Sakowitz was the first LEED certified ‘green’ affordable multi-family housing in Texas. This set the stage for all future New Hope properties to be certified LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design).

  • 6 of 16

    2012
    Perry

    NHH Perry offers 160 affordable, studio efficiency apartment homes in Foster Place, OST/South Union, close to the University of Houston and Texas Southern University. Perry features repurposed elm trees and vintage metal signage, which were later transformed into a wooden bench, library table, buffet, and entry art – reinforcing New Hope’s commitment to art and sustainability.

  • 7 of 16

    2014
    Rittenhouse

    Set amidst a grove of mature oak trees and beautiful gardens, NHH Rittenhouse offers 160 studio efficiency, affordable apartment homes. In addition to its park-like feel, Rittenhouse has stained-glass windows that span the entrance of the development. The windows incorporate depression glass plates, jewels, prisms, painted glass, and bevels, thematically evoking a sense of community and further highlighting our belief that the nexus of art and architecture improve quality of life.

  • 8 of 16

    2017
    Residences on Emancipation

    In 2017, New Hope Housing opened Residences on Emancipation, temporary housing with support services for vulnerable and displaced victims of Hurricane Harvey. Following seven months of intensive services, residents living at Emancipation transitioned into other housing, including NHH Harrisburg, as permanent residents on the road to stability.

  • 9 of 16

    2018
    Harrisburg

    Located in the historic East End, just off the METRO light rail, NHH Harrisburg is conveniently near a bustling hub for shopping and leisure. Harrisburg opened in 2018, with 175 studio efficiency apartments and 7,000 SF of commercial office space. Harrisburg replaced NHH Hamilton, which was in downtown Houston, adjacent to Minute Maid Park. In 2018, New Hope Housing relocated its corporate headquarters closer to home – the fourth floor of NHH Harrisburg. We went to work where our residents live.

  • 10 of 16

    2018
    Reed

    NHH Reed is the organization’s first supportive housing property for vulnerable families, offering 187 units of affordable one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes. Reed is located on Cornerstone Community, a lively campus of consolidated community services. Immediately adjacent to the Reed development are our social service partners, Star of Hope’s Women & Family Development Center, and the Buckner Family Hope Center. Reed residents have daily access to an on-site federally qualified family clinic, a market, and a Montessori inspired Bezos Academy preschool, opening in fall 2023. In 2021, Cornerstone Community and NHH Reed received Urban Land Institute’s international Americas Award for Excellence.

  • 11 of 16

    2020
    Dale Carnegie

    NHH Dale Carnegie was Houston’s first affordable housing built after Hurricane Harvey in August 2017. Located in the Sharpstown-Gulfton area of southwest Houston. Dale Carnegie offers 170 studio efficiency, affordable apartment homes in one of Houston’s most culturally rich neighborhoods. The property features a green roof adjacent to an outdoor seating area and perforated metal art in its verdant courtyard.

  • 12 of 16

    2021
    The Reed Family Clinic

    The Reed Family Clinic at NHH Reed opened in June 2021 and is operated by Healthcare for the Homeless–Houston and staffed by UT Health. This partnership creates robust and collaborative whole-family healthcare for Reed residents.

  • 13 of 16

    2022
    Avenue J

    Avenue J is New Hope Housing’s tenth affordable development, and very first apartment community for working individuals and families, and people living on a fixed income. Nestled in the heart of Houston's East End neighborhood, Avenue J features 100 units of one and two-bedroom apartment homes and is equipped with vibrant shared amenity spaces and an array of holistic support services to enhance individual and family development. Avenue J is a podium-style property with stunning views of downtown Houston. Its second-floor outdoor deck boasts a colorful mural-map depicting the nearby ship channel and outdoor grills.

  • 14 of 16

    2023
    Bezos Academy

    Bezos Academy Houston – Southside, a tuition-free preschool is set to open in the fall at our NHH-Reed affordable housing community for families with children. The Montessori-inspired school will be set in Reed’s verdant courtyard. It will offer year-round programming for children ages 3-5 years and provide all the necessary educational supplies needed to set each student up for success.

  • 15 of 16

    2023
    Savoy

    NHH Savoy will open in the summer of 2023, in the Sharpstown-Gulfton area of southwest Houston. New Hope Housing’s eleventh affordable development, Savoy offers 120 affordable, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartment homes in a rapidly evolving neighborhood. Savoy marks New Hope’s second community in a new line of apartment homes for working individuals and families and people living on a fixed income. The property is set in Regency Square, just off an oak lined esplanade. A building hallmark is its colorful lobby mural.

  • 16 of 16

    2023
    Our 30th Anniversary Year!

    New Hope Housing celebrates 30 years of serving individuals and families seeking stability, independence, and a place to call their home. None of this would have been possible without YOUR support.

Our Team

We’re great as individuals,
but together we thrive.

Board of Directors

Kenneth J. Valach

Executive Chairman
CEO
Trammell Crow Residential,
Crow Holdings Industrial and
Crow Holdings Office

Sanford W. Criner, Jr.

Vice Chairman
Executive Managing Director
JLL

Michael M. Fowler

Chairman Emeritus
Private Investor

Philip A. Croker

Senior Managing Director
Hines

Rick Craig

CEO
CityStreet Residential

Joseph Hagan

Retired President and CEO
National Equity Fund

HACDC Neighborhood Board Members

Bolivar “Bo” M. Fraga

Senior Community Engagement Developer,
BakerRipley

Irma G. Galvan

Owner
Irma’s Original Restaurant

Preston Roe

Retired

Officers

Joy Horak-Brown

President and CEO

Calvin, Tang, CPA, CGMA, MBA

Chief Financial Officer

Tamara Foster, CAPS

Executive Vice President, Onsite Operations and Strategic Partnerships

Stacey Lastovica, CAPS

Vice President, Property Management

Executive Management

Diana Gross

Senior Director, Philanthropy

Katie Lamb, SPHR

Senior Director, People and Culture

Ash Hussain, CPA, CAM

Director, Finance

Ron Lastimosa

Director, Real Estate Development

Cesar Ramirez

Director, Onsite Programs and Services

Joe Reyes, CAMT

Director, Maintenance

Our Reports

A Legacy of Hope - Celebrating 30 Years of Service

For 30 years, New Hope Housing has built an enduring legacy filled with hope for people affected by homelessness and housing insecurity. In 2023, we celebrate three decades of our Housing + Services model, and the people who made it all possible. As we look to the future of affordability in Houston, we remain committed to creating a world where every person has a safe, affordable, place to call home.

Read More

Our Recent Awards

Urban Land Institute

2022

USGBC

2022

Texas Homeless Network

2022

Houston Apartment Association

2021

2019 APEX Awards, Communications Concept

2021

Houston Business Journal

2020

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