TDHCA Press Room

Multifamily housing takes on a different look

After two years of planning and preparation, the Community Development Corporation of Brownsville (CDCB) has officially opened Casitas Los Olmos in Raymondville. The property bears the distinct flair akin to other CDCB-led initiatives, reflecting a more unconventional multifamily property.

Featuring 80 “small houses” or casitas, Los Olmos is built on the idea of a tight-knit family centric community surrounded by green spaces and close proximity to school and local amenities. CDCB, along with its architectural partners, have created a unique property taking environment and community impact into consideration, including screen doors and covered front porches overlooking common areas. Much of the landscaping fits with South Texas’ temperamental weather, grasses and low lying shrubs with colorful blooms that can take the heat.

With some units already housing Raymondville families, there are spots throughout the development where those residents have definitively made Casitas Los Olmos feel like home.

“We held community talks seeking input from Raymondville residents and officials about what they wanted for affordable housing,” explained Nick Mitchell-Bennett, executive director of CDCB. “Casitas Los Olmos is a result of those discussions, and we’re very proud that this has become an important part of the city’s housing options.”

Casitas Los Olmos is the first affordable housing community built in Raymondville in more than a decade, and was developed using a 9 percent housing tax credit allocation from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) in 2015.

Learn more about Casitas Los Olmos!