The Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD) recommends Council approval of an Ordinance authorizing the Second Amended and Restated New Home Development Program (NHDP) Guidelines, to include amendments to the acquisition process; contractor assignment and standardized pricing regulations; marketing and sale of homes; financial assistance (in the event a homebuyer receives funding from another program or source, the City of Houston (City) shall reduce funding accordingly); death of homebuyer provisions; monitoring; homebuyer eligibility requirements; rate of forgiveness on NHDP loans; regulatory considerations; the insertion of the contractor scorecard; and updates to various definitions.
The NHDP provides newly constructed affordable single-family homes for low- to moderate-income qualified homebuyers on scattered lots. The NHDP Guidelines state the basic requirements, policies, and procedures under which the NHDP is governed for current and future allocations of local funds for NHDP activities. HCDD staff will administer the program in conformity with the NHDP Guidelines and all applicable laws, policies, and regulations. The City will contract with Contractors for the construction of homes on scattered lots owned or acquired by the Houston Land Bank (HLB), and HLB will sell the homes to approved homebuyers, or to approved Houston Community Land Trust (HCLT) Buyers with the improvements sold to the HCLT Buyers and the land conveyed to the HCLT and leased to the HCLT Buyers.
The NHDP is funded through TIRZ Affordable Housing Funds.
On July 25, 2018, by Ordinance No. 2018-584, City Council approved the adoption of the New Home Development Program Guidelines; containing findings and other provisions relating to the foregoing subject; and declaring an emergency.
On April 1, 2020, by Ordinance No. 2020-280, City Council approved the adoption of the Amended and Restated New Home Development Program Guidelines; containing findings and other provisions relating to the foregoing subject; and declaring an emergency.
This item was reviewed by the Housing and Community Affairs Committee on March 31, 2022.
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Keith W. Bynam, Director