Baypointe Apartments is undergoing $20 million in renovations to ensure modern, affordable housing for residents for over 30 years.
The overview
April Housing, Blackstone Real Estate’s affordable housing portfolio company, is partnering with the Harris County Housing Finance Corp. to provide the renovations for over 235 families, according to an April 2 news release from April Housing.
The apartment complex, which was originally built in 2007, was already locked into an affordable housing agreement with the state, meaning its owner was required to keep rents in reach for low‑income tenants, said Rene Martinez, executive director with the Harris County Housing Finance Corp.
Rather than demolish the aging complex and start over, the county and its partners chose to refinance and overhaul it, using a mix of low‑income housing tax credits and bonds to pay for the work, Martinez said.
Renovations will include:
- Modernized kitchens and bathrooms, with new fixtures, energy-efficient appliances and updated lighting throughout every unit
- New water heaters and heating, ventilation and air conditioning split systems with lower utility costs
- Revitalized community spaces, including two playgrounds, a pool, a gym and a clubhouse
- Rooftop solar installation, offsetting the property’s electricity usage and providing critical backup power during weather-related grid outages
Assessing the need
Officials say preserving complexes like Baypointe is critical in a neighborhood where a large share of renters are already cost‑burdened.
The housing around Baypointe is also relatively old, reflecting some of the county’s aging multifamily stock that officials say is at risk without major repairs.
What’s next
A formal grand reopening for Baypointe Apartments is planned once renovations are complete in late 2026, the news release notes.
The Harris County Housing Finance Corp. is trying to dramatically ramp up its impact, aiming to become one of the strongest local agencies of its kind in the country by supporting about 10,000 single- and multifamily units per year, said Bryan Sanchez, Harris County Housing Finance Corp.’s vice president.
“That's [a] very aspirational [goal], but Harris County has a population of almost 4.8 million people by itself, 1,800 square miles,” he said. “It's very large, very diverse, and so we're trying to tackle problems that are very complex and create enough scale with our preservation and our new construction investments.”
Preservation projects like Baypointe, he added, are only one piece of that strategy.
The corporation is also pursuing new construction, partnerships with developers and innovative financing tools to reach households across the income spectrum while allowing long-time residents to stay within their communities.
