More affordable homes being built

While Odessa’s population continues to grow, places to live in town aren’t just hard to find – they come with a steep price, too.

To offset the increasing price of renting apartments and buying homes, Odessa Affordable Housing and the City of Odessa have begun construction on 16 townhomes in the west side of Odessa.

The homes qualify for the city’s Homebuyer Assistance Program, in which applicants who qualify, in income and credit history, can receive help with down payment and closing costs from the City of Odessa. For a four-member family to qualify, the income must be 80 percent of the area median income of $55,700.

With full assistance, qualified applicants might be able to pay a minimum mortgage of $700 to around $800 a month for a 1,200-square-foot, three-bedroom home, Odessa Affordable Housing Executive Director Jill Miller said. The homes will also include two bathrooms and a one-car garage.

According to the Odessa Chamber of Commerce 2011 Apartment Survey released in the summer, the average monthly rent for a three-bedroom apartment was $976. Tracey Jones, economic development administrative assistant for the Chamber, said that by now, the average rent has likely gotten even more expensive.

“It’s exciting when you put somebody who’s had the dream of owning a home. It’s very rewarding,” Miller said. “To know you’re putting them in a very good quality home, you’re setting them up for success versus failure.”

Basset Construction will build the townhomes in the Copus Circle cul-de-sac on the corner of 10th Street and Coronado Avenue. The first four homes cost $93,500 to construct.

The homes are being constructed with insulated concrete framing, which sandwiches cement between four-inch plastic foam blocks. The technique allows for a quicker construction period; it takes two days to frame four town homes versus nearly three weeks, Miller said.

Insulated concrete framing is also energy saving, which helps with the high cost of utility bills.

 “For a homeowner, it’s going to be a huge energy saver,” Miller said. “It’s very energy efficient. There’s no air that’s going to penetrate in or out of the house. It’s going to save them so much.”

Only one other home in Odessa has been built using the insulated concrete-framing technique, but Miller said about 300 homes were built using the technique in Lubbock.

City of Odessa Community Development Director Merita Sandoval said the technique could be a growing trend in the city, but it’s up to the builders to use the plastic foam bricks or wood framing.

“It does save time in the construction,” Sandoval said. “Either way, we want to put people in quality homes.”

@OAcitylife