Houston Supportive Housing Development Sparks Debate

A proposed apartment building in Houston is spurring discussion about the city’s building code — and where supportive housing for formerly unhoused residents should go. As R.A. Schuetz explains in the Houston Chronicle, the nonprofit developer in charge of the project is requesting a variance to build closer than 25 feet from the property line to accommodate the supportive housing project.

“But lawyers representing the owners of a block of land nearby have protested that the variance would make the area less pedestrian-friendly, which is the purpose of the city rule limiting how close buildings can be to property lines.” The nonprofit, Bread of Life, says it plans to provide pedestrians with a six-foot wide sidewalk.

“The building that would require the variance would be the second of a two-phase project to bring more permanent supportive housing to the block bounded by Crawford, Gray and Jackson streets and the Pierce Elevated, according to Planning Commission documents.”