new public housing complex set for el paso

A new public housing complex with 120 apartments will soon see construction on the growing northeast side of El Paso.

What is being called the Patriot Place Apartments will be built at 9500 Kenworthy Street, roughly 11 miles to the northeast of downtown El Paso.

The complex, which will belong to the Housing Authority of the City of El Paso, will comprise a series of two-story structures surrounding a community and play space area.

Set to go up half a mile to the south of the Transmountain campus of El Paso Community College, the project will also include biking trails and hiking paths.

A green light for the project was signaled with the awarding by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs of $20 million in tax credits designed to spur construction of the complex.

In a statement, Gerald Cichon, chief executive officer of the housing authority, said the agency was committed to investing millions of dollars in “areas that will offer our families and children easier access to new opportunities, high-wage jobs, good schools, and services.”

The Patriot Place Apartments project represents an increasingly popular model in public housing, breaking with the old pattern of separating such complexes from the neighborhoods that surround them.

Instead, the complex’s design calls for it to be integrated with the immediate neighborhood, providing residents with access to area stores and public transportation routes.

The Housing Authority of the City of El Paso oversees more than 6,100 residential units, providing housing for more than 40,000 people. It is the largest public housing authority in Texas.

By Garry Boulard

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