713-627-3200
On This Page
Access to decent affordable housing is a fundamental human need. Maintaining an adequate supply of housing is also an important component of a community's economic vitality and overall quality of life.
Regional Housing Plan
In 2020, H-GAC developed a high-level plan as a first step in identifying shared challenges and exploring ways the agency can support the efforts of the region’s local governments in achieving a range of housing choices that will sustain their future needs.
The first phase of this plan focuses on local governments within and including Austin, Brazoria, Chambers, Colorado, Fort Bend, Galveston, Liberty, Matagorda, Montgomery, Walker, Waller, and Wharton counties. H-GAC will incorporate the housing initiatives of the City of Houston, Harris County, and the cities contained therein in the future.
Fair Housing Act
The National Fair Housing Act, as amended, prohibits discrimination in housing and declares it a national policy to provide, within constitutional limits, for fair housing within the United States. The H-GAC Board of Directors recognizes April as Fair Housing Month for the Gulf Coast State Planning Region. H-GAC urges that all citizens of the Gulf Coast Region become aware of and support fair housing law.
HUD Section 3 (Employment)
Section 3 of the HUD Act of 1968 requires recipients of HUD funding to "direct employment, training, and contracting opportunities to low-income individuals and businesses that employee these persons within their communities".
In the Houston-Galveston Region, job opportunities for candidates who meet Section 3 requirements can be forwarded to:
[email protected]
713-688-6890
To learn more about Section 3, the following documents are available for download from the Texas Department of Agriculture Community Development Block Grant portal:
Fair Housing Act Resources
( 13)
Press releases, public service announcements, camera-ready ads, and other resources are available for download and use.
H-GAC's PRO Housing Grant Applications
In 2023 and 2024, the Houston-Galveston Area Council (H-GAC) applied for funding through the PRO Housing Grant to identify and remove barriers to affordable housing in the Houston-Galveston Area Council region. The PRO Housing Grant award ranges from $1 million to $10 million to be distributed to approximately 20 jurisdictions nationwide.
About the 2023 PRO Housing Application
If selected, H-GAC planned to help set the foundation and vision for regional housing in the Texas Gulf Coast Planning Region, set the groundwork for regional cooperation to meet housing need, and stimulate local affordable housing production. Our goal was to develop the resources to stimulate housing production and the preservation of affordable housing for low-income and middle-income residents in the 13-county H-GAC region. This proposal would have built on existing efforts in Harris County, but would not duplicate those efforts. The effort would have focused strongly on communities who would benefit most from additional organizational capacity. Proposed activities included:
-
Current housing needs assessment and 10-, 20-, 30-year forecasts by income categories and projected population growth, which includes analysis of fair housing issues across the region
-
Analysis of infrastructure capacity and recommendations needed to accommodate affordable housing across the region
-
A detailed update of the 2020 H-GAC Regional Housing Plan
-
Resource development to stimulate rural housing production through capacity-building programs for local developers like a housing production entrepreneurship program, peer exchanges, speakers bureau, and matchmaking
-
Program development for technical assistance and funding for initiatives meant to preserve housing affordability in rural communities
-
Development of an affordable housing toolbox, community land trust toolbox, and homebuyer education
-
Coordination with the Livable Center Program, which would provide technical assistance to implement housing recommendations in past Livable Centers studies
Full text of the draft application is available for reference.
2023 Public Comment and Public Hearing
Public Comment
H-GAC accepted oral and written public comments from October 13, 2023, through October 27, 2023, by email, phone message, online form, postal mail, and hand delivery.
Public Hearing
In addition to the methods listed above, H-GAC also accepted oral and written comments related to the grant application during a public hearing on Thursday October 19, 2023, from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. The hearing was held in person at 3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, Texas, Second Floor Conference Rooms, and on Zoom.
About the 2024 PRO Housing Application
If selected, H-GAC would have worked with the Houston Land Bank as a local partner to make transformative change in the Settegast community of Harris County, by developing infrastructure to foster housing development in this disadvantaged community. Additionally, H-GAC would have conducted data analyses on regional housing issues, informed by the Settegast model project, to boost decision-making capacity on housing for the region as a whole. Our overall goal was to use local investment as a model to develop the resources to stimulate housing production and the preservation of affordable housing for low-income and middle-income residents in the 13-county H-GAC region. This proposal would have built on existing efforts in Harris County, but would not have duplicated those efforts.
- Developing road and utility infrastructure for an undeveloped area in the Settegast community of Harris County, as a precursor to housing development;
- Conducting community outreach efforts to help inform project decisions, future housing decisions, and develop model approaches for regional dissemination of the work as a model project;
- Creating publicly available data analyses of infrastructure capacity, current and future housing need, vulnerability of affordable housing, and recommendations needed to increase decision-making capacity for increasing housing choice and removing barriers to affordable housing across the region; and
- Coordination with the H-GAC’s Livable Center Program, and other regional planning programs to disseminate outcomes to inform other efforts.
Full text of the draft application is available for reference.
2024 Public Comment and Public Hearing
Public Comment
H-GAC staff accepted public comment on the grant application from September 30, 2024, through October 15, 2024, by email, phone message, postal mail, or hand delivery.
Public Comment
In addition to the methods listed above, H-GAC accepted oral and written comments related to the grant application during a public hearing on Wednesday October 9, 2024, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. The hearing was held in person at 3555 Timmons Lane, Houston, Texas, Second Floor Conference Rooms, and on Zoom. This hearing was open to the public.
About the PRO Housing Grant
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will award a total of $85 million to urban and rural communities that are suffering from a lack of affordable housing. More information can be found at the grant website.