The overview
Local officials and community members marked the groundbreaking for Seabrook Square II—a 60-unit permanent supportive housing complex off Manor Road in the J.J. Seabrook neighborhood—on May 10.
The new apartments for formerly homeless residents are coming in alongside Seabrook Square I, a 204-unit affordable housing development located on the same site at 2210 Pershing Drive. That first phase broke ground in January.
The new development is a partnership between the Austin Housing Finance Corp., developer Capital A Housing, the NHP Foundation, and the countywide mental health care entity Integral Care.
Both pieces of the Seabrook Square project are being developed with more than $100 million through the city and AHFC, Travis County and federal American Rescue Plan Act funds. The city will also help tenants in the supportive housing units pay rent with 60 local housing vouchers.
City Housing Director Mandy DeMayo noted the development will be Austin's first capital project to receive some of the millions of dollars reserved for affordable housing through the Downtown Density Bonus Program.
That development incentive, which has helped expand Austin's skyline, trades additional building height and density allowances for either income-restricted units or payments into the city's affordable housing fund. Seabrook Square II is getting $5.18 million from that source, and DeMayo said she expects to see additional program collections flow into city affordable housing projects as more downtown high-rises reach completion.
The five-story Seabrook Square II is being designed for residents who've experienced homelessness, violence and trauma, according to the city. Building features include common areas and a community room, a private courtyard, a computer lab, a food pantry and laundry room.
“At Integral Care, we know that housing is more than four walls. It is the foundation for recovery from mental illness, substance use and other chronic conditions," CEO Jeff Richardson said. "Seabrook Square is a symbol of the community’s support, and today’s groundbreaking event underscores Austin’s dedication to equitable development of homelessness housing and the well-being of J.J. Seabrook neighbors.”
Construction is projected to wrap up in January 2026 and residents will begin moving in soon after. Next door at Seabrook Square I, residents are expected to begin moving in around mid-2025.
Michael Hamilton, who was formerly unhoused, is now a resident at another of Integral Care's supportive housing sites, Terrace at Oak Springs. He said he's now secured a job downtown and credited places like the Terrace and Seabrook Square for providing new spaces for people to stay.
“When I was homeless, we had somewhere to sleep. But now you don’t," he said. "It’s real hard for people to sleep outside now, and thank god for the people that’s helping to build a place to stay in Austin.”
City and county officials celebrated the May groundbreaking by highlighting the collaborations that led to the development progressing, as well as the many other supportive housing additions now in the works around Austin and Travis County. County Judge Andy Brown credited the "historic investments" of ARPA and other federal support for helping to get projects like Seabrook Square off the ground.
“By building permanent supportive housing near areas of high opportunity like we are today, near connectivity and access, we are setting a precedent that simply providing a place to sleep is not how we solve the unhoused crisis in Austin," she said. "Alongside their neighbors at Seabrook Square I, the future residents here will have the opportunity to live and be deeply connected to the heart of Austin.”
Austin Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said the continued focus on creating hundreds of new supportive housing spaces is addressing homelessness with more than a "simple Band-Aid."
“For many of us who are here, Seabrook is more than just another housing project happening in this boomtown," he said. "At the heart of this project lies the fundamental belief in the inherent dignity and worth of every individual in Austin and in Travis County."
