A new initiative in the Fourth Ward aims to rejuvenate Freedmen’s Town by preserving cultural landmarks and boosting economic mobility through the development of affordable housing. The project, spearheaded by the Freedmen’s Town Community Investment Initiative, will begin by introducing 16 affordable housing units located in historic homes.
“I’ve lived through 10 failed master plans for this community… the community was not centered in these master plans. People often came here to tell us what we needed, rather than just listening to us.”
Charonda Johnson
Zion Escobar, CEO of the initiative, explained the financial benefits for low-income households, stating, “Households earning less than 80% of the area median income could pay about $400 a month for rent.” She emphasized the innovative approach to homeownership: “Our hope is that every payment of rent that the residents make becomes an equity down payment, enabling them to eventually own the property.”
Escobar is currently awaiting a contractual guarantee that would allow renters the possibility of owning their homes. She added that the property will be incorporated into the Houston Community Land Trust, ensuring that it remains affordable for 99 years due to deed restrictions.
Freedmen’s Town, historically known as Houston’s Black Wall Street in the 1930s and renowned for its vibrant restaurants and jazz clubs, saw a decline partly due to I-45 construction, as noted by Houston History Magazine. The Fourth Ward stands as the last remaining post-Civil War neighborhood in the U.S. constructed by freedmen.
Charonda Johnson, Vice President of the Freedmen’s Town Association, shared her concerns about past revitalization efforts, noting, “I’ve lived through 10 failed master plans for this community… the community was not centered in these master plans. People often came here to tell us what we needed, rather than just listening to us.”
Neal Dikeman, a managing partner at Old Growth Ventures, which specializes in restoring vintage neighborhoods, relayed a positive interaction with a former property owner. “They were pretty pumped just to see me walk in the door and say, ‘Hey, somebody actually cares.’ They didn’t want the properties turned into a parking lot. This was their home, and they wanted it saved,” he recounted.