Avenue CDC is a non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing Houston's Washington Avenue and Near Northside Community by developing affordable housing and economic opportunities, while preserving our area's economic, cultural, and historical diversity. In the last eight years, Avenue CDC has helped to revitalize our community by leveraging over $35 million in investments, including our development of 63 single-family homes and 325 rental units.
Avenue CDC was founded in 1991 by a group of neighbors who wanted to develop affordable housing, preserve historic buildings, and revitalize the Old Sixth Ward, a National Register Historic District in the shadow of Houston’s Downtown. Old Sixth Ward CDC, as it was then known, was operated entirely by volunteers for the first four years. Since then, our staff has grown to seven full-time employees, and our Board of Trustees now includes 16 community leaders. At the request of civic organizations from surrounding neighborhoods, by 1999 we had expanded our target area to include the entire Near Northside and Washington Avenue communities, just north and northwest of Downtown. We changed our name to Avenue CDC to reflect this expanded focus.
Avenue CDC's programs include the development of single family homes for purchase by low-income families, free homebuyer education and counseling to help working families purchase their own homes, the development and operation of rental housing and supportive services, and the promotion of economic development in our target community. Avenue CDC's accomplishments have been recognized with numerous awards, including:
- 2006 Good Brick Award from the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance for the renovation of the Old Jefferson Davis Hospital, a 2005 Good Brick Award for restoration of nine historic rental units, and 2000 Good Brick Award for our Move Home program;
- 2002 Citation of Honor from AIA Houston;
- 2002 Citation of Honor from Texas Society of Architects;
- 2001 Houston Mayor’s Office Brownfields Clean-Up Award;
- 2001-2002 Honorable Mention for Fannie Mae Foundation’s Maxwell Award of Excellence for Washington Courtyards;
- 2001 Honorable Mention for the Appraisal Institute’s Award for Community Enhancement for Washington Courtyards;
- 2000 Best Non Profit from the Houston Press.
