A unique affordable housing complex in Houston delivered to offer residents more than just a feasible place to live — the project is giving Houstonians a chance to improve their lives.
New Hope Housing Berry offers affordable one-, two- and three-bedroom homes to individuals and families earning up to 60% of the area median income. The complex offers on-site amenities including fitness and business centers, community dining and preparation areas, flexible event spaces, an outdoor courtyard with hammocks and grills, a splash pad, a children’s playground and a pet-friendly bark park.
The project has earned a 2026 CoStar Impact Award for Multifamily Development of the Year for Houston, as judged by real estate professionals familiar with the market.
Beyond its building amenities, New Hope Housing Berry was designed in partnership to provide advancement opportunities for residents. The community boasts a tuition-free, on-site Bezos Academy preschool, providing Montessori-inspired early childhood education to residents and families in the surrounding neighborhood. Another program, called LIFT — Lives in Forward Transition — serves single parents working part time while pursuing higher education. LIFT scholars receive up to four years of housing assistance, childcare and family coaching. This opportunity differentiates New Hope Housing Berry from traditional affordable multifamily developments and positions it as a long-term driver of opportunity and neighborhood vitality.
The community’s transit-accessible location supports mobility and reduces transportation barriers, allowing residents to more easily access jobs and services throughout Houston. Residents are in close proximity to the Northline Transit Center and minutes from Hardy Toll Road and Interstate 45.
Quality of life was a focus for developers, and the designers made use of energy-efficient HVAC systems, lighting, windows and appliances, helping reduce utility costs for residents while limiting environmental impact.
Berry was made possible through a strong public-private partnership that included New Hope Housing, the Houston Housing Authority and Amegy Bank, which played a critical role by providing a key layer of financing that supported the capital stack alongside public-sector partners, equity investors and charitable contributions.
New Hope Housing Berry stands as a clear example of how thoughtful design, innovative partnerships and specialized financing can produce meaningful community impact. By combining high-quality affordable housing, integrated education, wellness-focused amenities, sustainability and transit accessibility, Berry meets an urgent housing need while elevating expectations for affordable multifamily development in Houston’s Greater Northside.
About the project: The 180-unit housing project began construction in the middle of 2023 and was completed in early 2025. A public-private partnership, New Hope Housing Berry in Houston's Greater Northside neighborhood was developed for $49 million with multiple layers of financing: $21.4 million of low-income housing tax credits purchased by National Equity Fund, a sponsor loan of $13.4 million and permanent financing of $13.4 million.
What the judges said: "Great example how affordable housing paired with education opportunities are achievable in a market like Houston," said Matt Berry, vice president at CBRE.
"Berry by New Hope Housing stands out because it directly tackles Houston’s most acute gap — high-quality affordable family housing in an underserved submarket — while embedding true economic-mobility infrastructure into the project, not just amenities," said Bill McGrath, CCIM, LandPark Advisors. "Its on-site Bezos Academy preschool and LIFT program for single parents in college turn the property into a long-term advancement platform, and the Energy STAR certification and transit-accessible location strengthen both livability and operating resilience. Finally, successfully structuring and closing a $49 million capital stack with LIHTC, housing authority participation, bank debt, and charitable contributions in a difficult rate and cost environment demonstrates an execution level that exceeds the more conventional, market-rate suburban projects it competes against."
They made it happen: Joy Horak-Brown, president and CEO of New Hope Housing; Jamie Bryant, president and CEO of Housing Alliance HTX; Ray Miller, affordable housing team lead at Amegy Bank; Stewart Jester, syndicator at National Equity Fund; Andrew Wong, community development at Comerica Bank; Mike Eilertsen, vice president of construction at Camden Builders; Alex Garcia, architect of record at Garcia + Associates Architect; Stephanie Pedigo, design consultant at GSMArchitects; Kendy Guillaume, principal at Jordan & Skala Engineers; Salvador Grimaldo, Houston department manager at PEA Group