The HAY Center, a program under Harris County Protective Services for Children and Adults, is being considered for Hurricane Harvey Community Development Block Grants – Disaster Recovery 2017 (CDBG-DR17) from Harris County Community Services Department (up to $20,000,000) and the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department (up to $5,000,000) to acquire land at 3131 Gulf Freeway, Houston, Texas 77003 and construct a complex of 50 units of housing for youths aging out of foster care with onsite supportive services.
The project includes construction
of two buildings and outdoor
space on a 3.268-acre site at
3131 Gulf Freeway
Wrap-around Services Building:
17,000-sq-ft commercial building for wrap-around services, including offices, huddle/meeting rooms, a computer lab, and life skills training rooms.
Residential Building:
41,000-square-foot, 50-unit residential building for youth with community space, a kitchen, a small gym, a business center, and private study rooms.
The vision for the campus was inspired by direct input from our youth through visioning sessions with Gensler Architects and has the following key components:
- HOME: Designed so all activities can take place in an environment that feels like HOME with community kitchens, small and large meeting places, comfortable furnishings and entrances that make all visitors feel welcome.
- EMPOWERMENT: Signing a lease, being provided a key and having a place of their own is one of the most empowering experiences the HAY Center can provide our youth.
- COMMUNITY: Designed to be part of an established community with access to public transportation, employment opportunities and green spaces that would promote a sense of belonging.
- WELLNESS: Designed with wellness in mind, opportunities to improve or maintain physical, mental and other forms of wellness throughout the campus will be accessible to residents as well as HAY Center Youth not residing on campus. An important inclusion will be on sight wrap around services including case workers and mental health services.
- SECURITY: The security of knowing they do not have to be dependent on someone else for a place to live and the security of knowing they are in control of their space allows youth to feel safe. Campus security features, based on input from our youth and professionals in the industry, have been incorporated into the campus design and plan.
There will be 45 efficiency-style apartment units that will have a full kitchen, washer and dryers. There will be 5 units that will allow for a single parent and one child so that foster youth who have a child can move into an apartment with their child. The apartments have community space with a full kitchen, learning stair, flexible space for movie nights and for studying. This facility is designed to achieve LEED silver certification.
For any questions you may have, please email HAY Center Director, Mary Green, at Mary.Green@cps.hctx.net.