Upward Communities co-founder and CEO Jason Roberts presented preliminary plans for the affordable housing community during the Dec. 16 board of trustees meeting.
Breaking it down
Roberts said the community could consist of several hundred four-bedroom, two-bathroom homes similar to the Plum Creek neighborhood with amenities such as porches, pools and garages. Rent could come in at $2,000 a month or less.
The project is intended to target the rising cost of living, Roberts said, and would be available to "anybody who has a paycheck" in the district.
"We'd love to offer homeownership and those things, but the number one goal first is to solve the income problem," Roberts said. "The only way you can really do that is by narrowing down on your efficiencies."
How it works
Upward Communities would provide 100% of the capital for the project, Roberts said. Similar projects have received 30-year agreements, but with HCISD, the developer would instead donate the project to the district as a longer-term solution.
"We're not here to make a rainy day of income one day," Roberts said. "We do make a small amount of money over a long period of time, but the reality is you can't solve the money problem if you'e trying to offer 50% of the units for affordable and the other 50% at market and we get the benefit. That's a typical affordable housing project."
Per the developer's website, before breaking ground on the community, the process includes:
- Collaborating with district officials and the bond, financial and legal counsel to review the initial terms of the lease agreement and sign confidentiality agreements
- Hosting a Q&A session to address questions and concerns, as well as conduct an internal survey to gather feedback and preferences from potential tenants
- Exploring various options for house plans, including the build site, unit configurations, interior designs and amenities
- Presenting stakeholders with finalized plans, projected timelines and expected benefits
- Drafting a comprehensive lease agreement with mutually agreed-upon terms and conditions—allowing time for review and negotiations—and facilitating the approval process with the district
Superintendent Eric Wright said HCISD's yearly teacher attrition rate is 6.6%, or about 115 teachers. However, demographer reports show the district is projected to add anywhere from 1,000 to 1,100 new students each year.
"We are really in a great situation because of our growth," Wright said. "If we were stagnant, like a lot of other school districts, I probably wouldn't be bringing this to you."
Chief Human Resources Officer Christina Courson added that HCISD has other affordable multiunit housing options through its partnership with the Texas Workforce Housing Foundation. However, there are currently no units available, and employees are essentially on a waitlist.
Offering input
"The battle for retention of teachers and taking care of our employees—that's basically a priority for us," trustee Johnny Flores said. "We want to make sure, like [Roberts] said, that we utilize [the community] if it were to become a reality. ... I also would like to see how this is working out for other districts of our size around the state."
Looking ahead
Roberts said there are potential properties in the area for the housing community, but it will not be selected until the board grants approval on going forward with the project overall.
The board is expected to likely vote in the coming months, and Roberts said the the company will look at bringing forward three "strategically located" options as Hays County is projected to keep growing.
