Building holiday memories in an affordable home of your own

Home for the holidays. What memories do those words conjure for you? Is it three generations together in the kitchen sharing stories and pitching in to create the holiday feast? Is it young and old gathered in the living room watching the big game? Or is it the warmth of decorations aglow both inside and out? 

Yolana Kindle is making holiday memories in her new home located in Houston’s Greater Third Ward/OST area. Kindle is one of a growing number of residents who found a path to homeownership through the affordable housing program offered by the Midtown Redevelopment Authority (MRA) and the Center for Civic and Public Policy Improvement (CCPPI). 

“Celebrating the holidays in a home of my own has been more rewarding than I expected,” said Kindle. “I can decorate as elaborately as I choose. I usually was not keen on decorating, but now I find it exciting to do so.”

Family is one of the reasons Nikisha Green pursued homeownership. This will be her first Christmas in her new Third Ward home. As a single mom, she says making this big move will help her build generational wealth that can be passed down.

Melvin Halsey is celebrating his second Christmas in his new home built by Cole Klein Builders, one of four builders – two nonprofits and two for-profit companies – in the program.  As a former prison inmate, he never thought he would be in the position to own a home in the neighborhood where he grew up. 

“This affordable housing program is extremely important to the community because any time you have an area being revitalized there are families that are displaced,” said Cole Klein Builders Co-Founder Vanessa Cole. “Our priority is to get people back into the neighborhood.”

More than 300 vacant lots have been set aside in Greater Third Ward/OST for development as affordable housing for residents who meet income guidelines. To date, 146 single-family homes have been built and another 24 are under construction. 

There have also been 456 rental units built. 

At this time next year, you could be building holiday memories in a home of your own. Find out more about our affordable housing program, see if you qualify, and meet our builders here.