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Harris County Community Services Department <br /> Affordable Housing Project Design Standards <br /> <br />andachievecompliancewithapplicableFederal,State,andlocallaws,regulations,andpolicy <br />objectives. <br />Intent <br />Thisdocumentisintendedtoprovidepoliciesthatestablishtheminimumstandardfortheuse <br />ofHOMEInvestmentPartnershipsProgram(HOME)andCommunityDevelopmentBlockGrant <br />Program(CDBG)fundsinthecreationofaffordablemultifamilyandsinglefamilyhousing <br />developmentsforeligibleresidentsofHarrisCounty.HCCSDisresponsibleforensuring <br />appropriateutilizationoftheHUDentitlementfundsallocatedforhousingandcommunity <br />developmentactivities. <br />HarrisCounty,inordertoensurecompliancewithfederalguidelines,hascreatedthe <br />AffordableHousingStandards:t©š†;-·{·“7©7­r5;­zm“/©z·;©z“7…“7;©Þ©z·z“m <br />DÒz7;Œz“;­›{!EEš©7,Œ;Housing{·“7©7­|œtoaddressneighborhoodcompatibility,site <br />design,rentalrates,complianceperiod,siteandneighborhoodstandards,aswellaslocaland <br />statedevelopmentstandards,includingbutnotlimitedtounitspecification,publicnotice,and <br />buildingcoderequirements.TheAffordableHousingStandardssetthestandardforall <br />affordablehousingprojects,regardlessoffundingsource,fundedbyHCCSD. <br />ItistheresponsibilityoftheHCCSDtorevieweachprojectproposedandmonitorthosefunded <br />toensureconformitywiththeAffordableHousingStandards.Developersandarchitectsshould <br />reviewthisdocumentandscheduleameetingwithHCCSDstaffearlyintheconceptualdesign <br />phaseoftheproposedproject.Thisinitialmeetingwillprovideanopportunitytoreviewthe <br />housingneedbeingserved,theprogrammaticgoals,thesitingofthedevelopment,sustainable <br />designstrategies,amongotherissues.Iffunded,HCCSDstaffwillprovideongoingmonitoring <br />andtechnicalassistancetoensuretheprojectisbuilttoconformancewiththesestandardsand <br />remainsincompliancefollowingconstruction. <br />Itistheintentofthesestandardsanddesigncriteriatoassistprojectstobestservetheneeds <br />ofitsresidentswithasmuchquality,safety,energyefficiency,durability,comfort,and <br />environmentalsustainabilityasthemarketplace,resources,andneedwillpermit.Thecriteriain <br />thisdocumentareinadditiontoallapplicablefederal,state,andlocalcodes,laws,and <br />regulations.Thesecriteriaarenotintendedtoreduceorcircumventtherequirementsoflaw <br />andcurrentapplicablebuildingcodes. <br />WaiverRequests <br />HCCSDacknowledgesthateachprojectmayfaceuniquesite,design,financing,population,or <br />marketconstraintsforwhichfullcompliancemaybedifficultorimpossible.Itisintendedthat <br />suchuniqueconstraintsareidentifiedduringthedesignprocess,andthattheapplicantmay <br />requestamodificationorwaivertospecificstandardsandrequirements,whichwillbe <br />Harris County Community Services Department 5 <br />Affordable Housing Project Design Standards <br />Revised May 2011 <br /> <br />