Mayor Turner announced a new initiative to improve the quality of life in some of the City’s most underserved neighborhoods. Five neighborhoods were announced as the target areas, including one neighborhood in District J – Gulfton.
With a population of 180,000 persons, who speak as many as 85 different languages, District J has lead the City in its transformation as a multicultural beacon. When Gulfton was being developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, it became an epicenter of rapid construction of apartment communities. These developments were designed to quickly house the multitudes of people who flocked to Houston from across the nation, during the economic boom of that era.
After the oil bust of the eighties, the area’s newly affordable housing welcomed the City’s next wave of new residents, who traveled to Houston from across the globe.
The Mayor’s Complete Communities Initiative will seek to address some of the challenges facing the Gulfton community. Building upon a strong foundation of local neighborhood advocates, the community will work closely with City Departments to create a more complete neighborhood. Those advocates will work to provide: enhanced access to quality affordable homes; jobs; well-maintained parks and greenspace; improved streets and sidewalks; grocery stores and other retail; good schools and reliable transit options.