June 2022 | News You Can Use
Dear FWHS Community,

We hope you're enjoying your summer and staying cool. This year has been busy for our agency with many good things in the works as we expand access to affordable housing in Fort Worth.

In this edition, we are pleased to share several Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Initiative updates and introduce you to Stop Six resident De'Mon Hobbs, who is working as a site assistant on the Cowan Place Senior Living construction project. Also below, check out progress at the Huntley, a new Downtown Fort Worth living option with affordable and market-rate units that will open in December.

Our agency was pleased to share time last month with the new HUD Region VI Administrator Candace Valenzuela, who toured several of our properties. As for these soaring temperatures, check out a few AC tips below to keep your home comfortable and prevent your unit from freezing.

There is power in our partnerships, and we appreciate each one of you!

Mary-Margaret Lemons
President
FWHS Welcomes New HUD Region VI Administrator Valenzuela
President Joe Biden appointed Candace Valenzuela HUD’s Regional Administrator in the Southwest (Region VI) last spring, and she wasted no time scheduling a tour of FWHS mixed-income properties as well as the Stop Six Choice Neighborhood.

On May 4, Valenzuela and several HUD Southwest leaders toured FWHS properties that benefited from HUD’s Rental Assistance Demonstration program. RAD allows funding tied to traditional public housing to support rental assistance elsewhere and be used to renovate existing units.
Valenzuela (pictured far right next to Deputy Regional Administrator Leslie Ann Bradley) was back with FWHS leaders May 25 to learn more about Casa De Esperanza, the permanent supportive housing community for previously homeless residents, and Sedona Village Senior Living. FWHS partners including Ojala Holdings LLC, RPM Living and Wind River Properties helped make the tours a fun and informative opportunity.
Huntley to Add 296 Downtown Units by December
Crews are rapidly completing the Huntley, a five-story, mixed-income community that FWHS is developing in partnership with Stonehawk Capital at 904 E. Weatherford St., just north of Jennings Place (formerly Hillside Apartments). The property is scheduled to open in December.

Of the 296 units, 51% will be offered at reduced rents to households with incomes at 80% or less of Area Median Income. The remainder will be leased at market rates.

The Huntley will feature a resort-style pool, outdoor kitchen and lounge area, fitness center, rooftop lounge, golf simulator, business center, dog park, dog wash, security cameras and controlled access gates. Apartments with include stainless steel appliances, quartz counters and built-in shelving.
Stop Six Choice Neighborhood Update
Construction is proceeding on schedule on Cowan Place Senior Living, with crews framing up the first ground-level units facing East Rosedale Street near Stalcup Road. The 174-unit property is designed for residents 62 and older. Substantial completion is expected by December 2023; pre-leasing begins in Fall 2023. Read more about Cowan Place here.

FWHS also expects to break ground this fall on Hughes House, the mixed-used development that will be built at 4830 E. Rosedale St. on part of the former Cavile Place site.

Interested in a Hughes House construction job? Fill out the form here, and we will be back in touch about opportunities.
AIA Fort Worth, the local chapter of the American Institute of Architects, honored Cowan Place Senior Living with its 2022 Excellence in Sustainable Development Award during its annual awards ceremony held June 11 at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth.

The award recognizes an outstanding design, project or development that has a significant impact toward creating a more sustainable built environment. Cowan Place is designed by Bennett Partners architects of Fort Worth. McCormack Baron Salazar is FWHS’ development partner for the property. The community also is one of Enterprise Community Partners Inc.’s “First 20 Cohort” of affordable housing developments that adopt the organization’s environmentally responsive building practices.
Lastly, we celebrated 10 high school graduates who lived in the former Cavile Place public housing community with a Graduate Appreciation Party held June 10 at Urban Village Family Services in partnership with Urban Strategies Inc. (USI). The nonprofit is leading efforts to keep former Cavile residents engaged in Stop Six and supported throughout the neighborhood transformation.

Congratulations to our students as they embark in their next chapters toward academic and career excellence! (Dunbar High School graduate Jasmine Presley, left, is pictured here with USI Education Specialist Shanice Roberts.)
De'Mon Hobbs Helping Revitalize His Stop Six Neighborhood
De’Mon Hobbs was born and raised in Stop Six. This historic neighborhood in Southeast Fort Worth means so much to his past. So does its future.

Hobbs, 40, is working on the Cowan Place Senior Living development for BLOCK Companies as a gatekeeper/site assistant. BLOCK is recruiting local workers as part of the effort to ensure that Fort Worth residents and companies benefit from the community investment.
 
“I believe this new addition to Stop Six is a long-awaited sight,” Hobbs said. Read more about his contributions to Cowan Place here.
Keep Your Residence Cool and AC Working
With summer temperatures climbing above 100 degrees, we all want to keep our houses cool and comfortable. You can help your air conditioning unit keep up by setting your thermostat no lower than 75 degrees.

Setting your thermostat under 75 forces the unit to run continually to compete with the outside temperatures and may cause the unit to freeze and stop working. Changing your air filter and covering window with curtains or blinds can help. Click here for more tips.

FWHS residents experiencing air conditioning issues should first contact their property manager or landlord. If your landlord does not respond to your request, email us at inspections@fwhs.org or call 817-333-3661 so our team can help resolve the issue.
FWHS Honored for 2020 Annual Financial Report
FWHS was awarded the Government Finance Officers Association's Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award (PAFR) for 2020 Annual Report for FY2020. This is the first award received by the Agency for its annual report.

FWHS is one of 35 local government agencies that have received the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) and PAFR awards in Texas, and the only housing authority in the state with the two accolades.
Help for Homeless Residents
For individuals or families needing housing assistance through Special Programs, referrals are made through the coordinated entry process with TCHC (Tarrant County Homeless Coalition). The TCHC homeless helpline is 817-996-8800 and the website is www.ahomewithhope.org. The agency allows clients to select where they want to live. Housing Counselors are able to help clients search apartments through admission software that allows landlords to list properties.
Employment Services
Join FWHS at 11 a.m. each Tuesday for a virtual career workforce about job readiness and career growth. Coming up:
  • July 5: Building Confidence By Building You
  • July 12: Leadership Skills
  • July 19: How To Complete A Job Application
  • July 26: Resume Writing
FWHS President Talks Affordable Housing
From college volunteering to doing PR for Texas chefs to becoming a lawyer, FWHS President Mary-Margaret Lemons took a circuitous route to Affordable Housing and she brings all that experience to the table.

Katie Goar's two-part conversation with Mary-Margaret is available from ForbesBooks: Part 1 | Part 2. The episodes also available on Apple, Spotify and wherever you get podcasts. More on #ChangeMakers: http://ow.ly/iVtA50Fq0BN.
Fort Worth Report business editor Bob Francis also spoke with Mary-Margaret about her career journey and how FWHS transitioned from a traditional public housing authority to one that has provided a variety of affordable housing opportunities. Read more here.
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Questions or suggestions?
Email Kristin Sullivan at ksullivan@fwhs.org.

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