The Retreat at Westlock, a new age 62 and older apartment complex, is slated to begin construction by the end of August at the corner of Hwy. 249 and Westlock Drive in Tomball.[/caption]

The Harris County Housing Authority held a public hearing July 16 regarding a new age 62 and older affordable apartment complex in the Tomball area, which is scheduled to begin construction in late August.

During the hearing, a number of Tomball residents vocalized concerns about the complex, stating HCHA officials failed to notify more nearby community members about the plan details and did not allow enough time to offer feedback during the planning process.

The 9.36-acre Retreat at Westlock, which will be located at Hwy. 249 and Westlock Drive, will feature 140 one- and two-bedroom units at a price range of $375 to $936 per month, said Bobken Simonians, senior vice president of real estate investments and development for The ITEX Group LLC. The ITEX Group LLC is the co-developer of the new complex with the Harris County Housing Authority.

“If you see this development, you cannot tell it is affordable, and that it’s targeted to a population that is getting lower rent than others,” Simonians said. “Lower rent does not mean cheap development, and it does not mean bad development. It’s a development you will be proud of and so will we.”

Age restrictions, community input

With the complex’s age restrictions, each occupant of an apartment unit must be disclosed on the housing application as age 62 or older, HCHA Executive Director Tom McCasland said.

“Generally, there is the prohibition against age discrimination, but there are two exceptions—an age 55 and older exception and an age 62 and older exception,” McCasland said. “[The age 62 and older requirement] was an agreement that was reached when we were doing some outreach to some of the community groups because they voiced concern about having other household members that would be below 55.”

Simonians said HCHA and The ITEX Group officials met with the Cypress Coalition and other community members regarding the apartment complex to gather input. The developers also mailed letters about the public hearing to all residents living within a quarter mile of the project, he said.

However, several Tomball residents vocalized concerns that they were not informed about the details of the complex and Tomball homeowners associations and organizations were not involved in the outreach efforts. HCHA Commissioner Gerald Womack said county officials plan to be more diligent in contacting more nearby residents when planning for future housing properties.

In addition, some residents expressed concerns about how the new apartment complex will affect adjacent property values in the coming years.

“We have some properties that are at least eight-plus years old,” HCHA Chief Development Officer Horace Allison said. “Those properties look just as good as what you see in the [design plans]. What we have experienced when we have come in and built Class A-type properties is it does improve the quality of housing and the marketability of the area we go into.”

Financing the complex

“The need in this area was for affordable senior housing, and that’s the population we’re targeting.” —HCHA Chief Development Officer Horace Allison

The complex will be funded through tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and is inspected by the state at least once each year to ensure development standards are maintained, Simonians said.

“We must set aside a replacement reserve from the rents every year to deal with the eventuality that some of these parts of the buildings need to be replaced and remodeled,” Simonians said. “The state has 15-year minimum restriction for the investments to stay in the property, so investors have a 15-year window that their money is in jeopardy if something goes wrong.”

The HCHA began the application process to receive funding for the apartment complex in 2013 and carried out a market study by an outside contractor to determine housing needs in the area, Allison said.

“The need in this area was for affordable senior housing, and that’s the population we’re targeting,” Allison said. “There’s a need because of the aging population now becoming empty nesters, not wanting to live in their larger homes and wanting a safe, secure place to live.”

Application process

The maximum number of seniors who can live in a one-bedroom unit is two, and the cap for a two-bedroom unit is four seniors, Allison said. In May or June 2016, the housing application process and waiting list is expected to begin for the property, he said.

Age 62 and older seniors will be screened for eligibility based on a first-come, first-served basis with background checks as well as income brackets guidelines defined through U.S. Housing and
Urban Development, Allison said.

Construction on the Retreat at Westlock is expected to be complete in 12 to 14 months, Allison said.

For more information about the new apartment complex, contact the Harris County Housing
Authority.