Accelerating Progress through a new Improvement Fund
Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the establishment of a fund to receive private donations and pledges for Complete Communities' neighborhood improvements on March 25. With an initial $25 million fundraising goal, the fund already has $10 million in contributions and commitments, including a $500,000 donation from Cadence Bank and others. Mayor Turner also recently announced the creation of the Office of Complete Communities and named Shannon Buggs as director. Her position is funded by the Houston Endowment, Inc. The Planning & Development Department will continue stay engaged and serve as the lead planners for the the five pilot communities. See Mayor's press release for more details on the Complete Communities Improvement Fund.
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| Mayor Sylvester Turner, Paul Murphy of Cadence Bank, and Shannon Buggs |
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Community Highlights
Acres Home
Carlecia Wright and Paul Pinedo gather with the A-Team to brainstorm on economy and jobs
Acres Home Economy and Jobs A-Team: The A-Team held its first meeting of 2019 on March 22. Director Carlecia Wright of the City of Houston's Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) gave a presentation about doing business with the City of Houston. Dr. Paula Pineda shared the many tools OBO has for new entrepreneurs and how small business owners can benefit.
 Workforce Solutions: Workforce Solutions, a public workforce system that provides job placement and career counseling, opened their newest location in northwest Houston, that will serve Acres Home, Greater Inwood, Central Northwest, and other area neighborhoods. The opening ceremony was held Friday morning, April 5. The opening included a tour of the facility with community leaders, local high schools, colleges, and city officials. About 28 percent of the Acres Home area population is below the poverty line, compared to 17 percent in Harris County. Workforce Solutions helps people plan for the jobs of the future. Employers can also use the space to conduct interviews or recruit candidates. The office is located at 6730 Antoine Drive and is open from 9 am - 5 pm, Monday through Friday. Details
here.
Family Day in the Park! Family Day in the Park was held on April 13, at Sylvester Turner Park. This annual fun event included family activities, entertainment, food and drinks, and baseball games! In addition, a Pop-Up Bike Lane was set up on W. Little York across from the park so residents could see what a bike lane looks and feels like. A meeting and more details on this
project will be announced at a later date.
 Acres Home Health A-Team: The Acres Homes Health A-Team presented #MeetTheMarket on April 13. The event was an introduction to the Acres Homes Farmer's Market at 8121 West Montgomery Rd. Follow the A-Team on
Facebook for frequent updates.
"B" Better: Vice Mayor Pro-Tem Jerry Davis is invited as a guest speaker at the 3rd annual "B" Better Conference on Thursday, May 16, from 7:30 am - 2 pm, at the George R. Brown Convention Center. "B" Better's mission focuses on giving aspiring students in middle school the unique opportunity to turn their career and life aspirations into reality by exposing them to the endless opportunities in traditional and non-traditional career paths.
Contact Information: The planner for Acres Home is Christa Stoneham. You can reach her at 832-393-6600 or CC_AcresHome@houstontx.gov.
Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council:
The Gulfton Super Neighborhood Council meetings are held every third Monday of the month. The next meeting is on Monday, April 15, at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Drive, from 12 - 1 pm. If you are interested in becoming a member, contact the Gulfton Super Neighborhood at
gulftonsnc@gmail.com.
 Chat for Change: Twelve murals were unveiled in Gulfton to celebrate Gulfton's Story Trail, presented by Culture of Health Advancing Together (CHAT). The celebration was held on Saturday, March 16, at the Southwest Multi Service Center. Guests were able to tour the community to see the art work and eat some of the best local food, showcasing the diversity of Gulfton.
Positive Interaction Program (PIP) Meeting:
The next PIP meeting will take place on Tuesday, April 16, at the Southwest Multi-Service Center, 6400 High Star Dr., from 12 - 1 pm. PIP features speakers from different divisions (Burglary and Theft, Homicide, K-9, Helicopters, etc.) to explain how their division operates. This program is offered so citizens will know what to expect, should they ever need the police. The PIP was started as a pilot project in only one police station. The program has expanded significantly, as it has proven to be an overwhelming success.
Capital Improvement Project Meeting (CIP):
The District J CIP Community Meeting was held at the Bayland Community Center. Various city departments were in attendance, while residents came out to learn about projects and resources for District J.
Contact Information: The planners for Gulfton are Tonya Sawyer and Abraham Zorrilla. You can reach them at 832-393-6600 or CC_Gulfton@houstontx.gov.
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Houston Public Works and Ennis-Flint crews installing crosswalk art at Fulton & Hogan |
Crosswalk Art on Hogan Street: At the street intersection of Hogan and Fulton, you may notice a shape of a heart and a text that reads, "HOLA!". Students from Sherman Elementary School and local artists submitted designs for the crosswalk project. Community members voted on their top two favorite images. A total of 150 votes were
collected through a collaboration of nonprofit organizations, the Greater Northside Management District, the City of Houston, and a community organization called the Houston Department of Transformation. The heart was created by Sherman Elementary School student Caroline Ortiz and the "Hola!" design was created by an anonymous local artist.
This project is being led by the Clinton Foundation, and funded by Avenue CDC. The City of Houston Planning & Development Department assisted with project coordination of the crosswalk improvements at four intersections: Hogan & Fulton, Hogan & Cochran, Quitman & Fulton, and Quitman & Cochran. The intersection of Hogan & Fulton is the first of the four areas to have this crosswalk art installed by Houston Public Works. They are produced out of thermoplastic materials by the road pavement marking company, Ennis-Flint, for long-lasting impact. The Clinton Foundation also partnered with the Houston-Galveston Area Council to determine best practices for improving bike and pedestrian safety, and with the Greater Northside Management District to identify areas that need improvements. This project demonstrates a strong collaboration between the City of Houston and outside supporters, to integrate community culture with street safety enhancements.
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| Super Neighborhood #51 leaders welcomed community members at a committee fair |
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Super Neighborhood Council #51 Committee Fair: A committee fair was held during the March 28 Super Neighborhood Council #51 (SN51) meeting to invite more residents and stakeholders to the following committees: Business/Commercial Development, City Council/Local Government, Community and Civic Engagement, Crime and Safety, Historic Preservation, Media, Schools/PTOs, and Membership.
Harris County Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Council Member Karla Cisneros attended this Committee Fair. Commissioner Garcia spoke about civic participation, and the importance of getting involved. If you would like to join a committee, you can attend the next Super Neighborhood meeting on April 25, at 6 pm, at the Leonel Castillo Community Center, or contact the organization at
snc51houston@gmail.com.
Houston Basics Workshops: The Children's Museum of Houston, in partnership with the Houston Public Library, My Brother's Keeper, the Houston Health Department, Herman H. Fleishman Foundation, and The Powell Foundation, is holding several workshops for parents and grandparents of children from birth to 3 years old. The Houston Basics are five, simple, yet powerful ways to improve brain development in children during the first 3 years of life. Click
here for details about the workshops. Workshops include:
Carnegie Library, 1050 Quitman Street, from 11 am - 12 pm, on April 29, May 20, June 24, July 29, and August 26
Wesley Community Center, 1401 Lee Street, from 2 - 3 pm, on May 9, June 13, July 11, and August 8
Leonel Castillo Community Center, 2101 South Street, from 6 - 7 pm, on May 1, June 5, July 3, and August 7.
Neighborhood Character Work Group Meeting:
At the March 19 meeting, planning staff met with residents of Second Ward to receive feedback on a project to bring temporary art into the community and to discuss potential locations for the art. The planned artwork are 3D street murals that will generate interest in exploring new places in the community. We are currently working on finding locations for the artwork to be installed and acquiring the needed supplies for the artists. For more information, contact CC_SecondWard@houstontx.gov.
Flores Library:
Residents in Second Ward are interested in forming a "Friends of Flores Library" support group for the Flores Library Branch of the Houston Public Library. The library is currently under renovations and is anticipated to open in 2020.
If you are interested in participating, more information will be available soon. Sign up for the Second Ward Constant Contact list here to ensure you receive information on future happenings in Second Ward.
Contact Information: The planners for Second Ward are David Welch and Eriq Glenn. You can reach them at 832-393-6600 or CC_SecondWard@houstontx.gov.
Ms. Norma Bradley, SN President, and Jason Hyman leading the March meeting
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Judge Brown, Pct. 7, Place 1 - Harris County Justice of the Peace Courts
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Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood Meeting:
The Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood #67 monthly meeting is every third Thursday at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center, 3611 Ennis St., at 6 pm. SN #67 is collecting nominations for officers. Email CC_ThirdWard@houstontx.gov for more information.
 Education Work Group Meeting Change:
The Education Work Group changed their monthly meeting time. Starting in April, they will meet every third Thursday at 6 pm. The meetings will be held at the C-STEM office, 3226 Alabama St.
Safety & Security Work Group:
The April Safety & Security Work Group will meet the third Tuesday (April 16), from 5:30 - 6:30 pm. The group meets at the HPD South Central Substation at 2202 St. Emmanuel Street. The March meeting focused on proactive crime prevention nightclubs and corner stores, 3rd Ward Ready CERT 100, and RING device updates. If you are not able to physically make the meeting, you can dial in at (605) 472-5667, Access Code: 630365.
Pop-up bike lanes demonstrate what a bike lane might look like in the future
Cleburne Pop-Up Bike Lane:
The City of Houston held a Pop-Up Bike Lane on Cleburne between Ennis and Delano on March 23.Bike riders were able to ride bikes along the temporary lane and provide comments and input.Commenters provided positive feedback about the proposed bike lanes. The proposal includes the removal of parking on both sides of Cleburne, and the addition of buffered bike lanes, with or without armadillos. See the photo above for an example. For more information and regular updates, visit this link.
 2019 Property Tax Workshops:
The office of Ann Harris Bennett, Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar, and Harris County Appraisal District, are holding tax workshops on the Protest Process, Property Tax Exemptions, How Property Taxes are Calculated, and Payment Options. Find out how you might lower your property taxes at this event on April 22, 10 am, at the Third Ward Multi-Service Center, 3611 Ennis.
 Homebuyer Education Workshop: Neighborhood Recovery CDC offers a monthly homebuyer education workshop facilitated by a HUD Certified Counselor. This workshop provides a detailed overview of the home purchasing process. Learn about a $25,000 Down Payment Assistance program that is available for qualified buyers. The workshop is on Saturday, April 27, from 9 am - 4 pm, at Nubia Square Apartments Community Center, 3711 Southmore. Registration is $25; register online at
www.nrcdc.org. The contact is Nia Murry at 713-520-5232, or via
info@nrcdc.org.
Contact Information: The planners for Third Ward are Lynn Henson and Annette Mitchell. You can reach them at 832-393-6600 or CC_ThirdWard@houstontx.gov.
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Tips From the Toolbox: Youth Jobs and Tax Resources
Hire Houston Youth: Hire Houston Youth (HHY) is the City of Houston's collective youth workforce program, bringing together dozens of unique, outstanding partners, from throughout Houston, for job opportunities. Youth, ages 16-24, are offered a minimum of $8 per hour for seven weeks of paid summer jobs and internships at the City of Houston, and in Houston's non-profit and private sectors. HHY serves as the facilitator to connect youth to local jobs where they are empowered with an "earn and learn" opportunity in Houston's dynamic economy. Most positions are from June 10 through August 1. Click here to apply now.
Tax Resources: The Houston Public Library offers tax resources via this link.
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