Right of Way (ROW) Acquisition & Benefits

• Determine needs and preferences of displacees 
• Explain relocation assistance 
• Offer transportation if necessary 
• Offer moving services if necessary 
• Assure the availability of a comparable residential property in advance of displacement 
• Provide current listing of comparable properties 
• Provide the amount of the replacement housing payment in writing 
• Inspect residential dwellings for decent, safe and sanitary acceptability ▪
• Provide relocation counseling

• Property title information and review of documents 
• Property tax and exemption impacts 
• First time home buyer seminars 
• Escrow process and property title clearing 
• How to get social services and assistance 
• How to select a real estate agent 
• How to check your credit and improve your score 
• Household budgeting seminars 
• Household maintenance seminar

The right of way acquisition process

To ensure effective communication with LEP individuals who need to be relocated, TxDOT provides translators when necessary and makes benefit details available in multiple preferred languages. In compliance with the VRA, TxDOT conducted LEP Surveys in the seven languages below to assess whether language needs were met for all property owners, residential and business occupants, and tenants relocated to date. 

• Mexican Consulate – 2019
• Mach Industries – 2019
• Ecclesia Houston Church - 2019
• Clayton Homes (HUD Public Housing) – 2020
• Greater Mount Olive Baptist Church – 2020
• Temenos Place (low income housing) – 2020
• Lofts at the Ballpark - 2021

• Goodwill Baptist Church
• Midtown Terrace (low income for Veterans)
• SEARCH Homeless (homeless resource center)
• Loaves and Fishes (homeless resource center)
• Kelly Village (HUD Public Housing)
• University of Houston-Downtown
• City of Houston Police Station

• Providing an additional $30 million in affordable housing funding for Independence Heights, Near Northside, Greater Fifth Ward, and Greater Third Ward
  
  
• All residents of Clayton Homes have been relocated 
  • Combination of Vouchers and Uniform Relocation Act (URA) benefits used
  • More than 200 eligible relocatees from Clayton Homes
  • Phase 2 of Property Closing is pending
  • Houston Housing Authority (HHA) has performed demolition
     
• Voluntary Resolution Agreement (VRA) required LEP Survey of all relocatees
  • 563 Survey recipients
  • 39 Responses to date

Source: I-45 North Houston Highway Improvement Project VRA Progress Report. (2023, September 2). TxDOT NHHIP. Retrieved November 29, 2023, from https://www.txdot.gov/content/dam/project-sites/nhhip/docs/vra/nhhip-vra-progress-report-1.pdf

• This $35M affordable housing project serves as the replacement for the Temenos II Apartments
  
  
• Using the funds from TxDOT acquiring the property additional affordable housing was established • 90-unit apartment (replaced the 80-unit Temenos II Apartments)
  
  
• Located 1 mile from the original proper ty

TxDOT and Houston Housing Authority (HHA) have successfully relocated residents from the Clayton Homes public housing project. Along the way these residents were provided:

• Explanation of relocation process every step of the way
• Assistance with locating new housing
• Assistance with inspecting new housing 
• Home buying seminars
• Financial responsibility seminars

Watch "Nyiraburanga & Nyirakamana Home buyers: From Federal Housing to Homeowner"

TxDOT is committed to making sure relocated residents find affordable housing. Specifically, TxDOT is:

• Offering fair market value for all properties needed. 
• Offering supplemental funding for relocating owners and tenants to buy or rent higher priced properties.

Several residents of the Clayton Homes housing project have relocated to new areas and are very happy with their new homes. 

Watch "Jones’ Rental Story: From Clayton Homes federal housing apartment renter to home renter"