On Tuesday, director of the city’s Community and Human Development Department, Bill Lilly, pitched a different approach that City Council approved to buy lots in new, market subdivisions and then provide assistance to low and moderate income individuals and families to build there.

With funds from the Home Investment Partnership Program, the city will also be offering something to renters in South and Central El Paso.

“What the city has done in the past is provided the money to the homebuyer and they would actually go out and find a home themselves,” Lilly said. “But sometimes, they had a difficult time finding a home to buy.

“Now, we’re taking a pro-active approach to ensure that affordable housing is developed throughout the entire city.”

Using $7.3 million in federal funds, the city’s effort is aimed at low-to-moderate income families earning 80 percent or less of El Paso’s median income -- $34,900 -- adjusted according to family size.

There are five projects:

-- Summerlin Subdivision, near Angora Loop and Railroad Drive in the Northeast, where the city is acquiring 30 lots for three-bedroom homes scattered throughout the development. The city will offer $1.2 million in all and up to $40,000 to buyers who qualify through the city’s First Time Home Buyers Program. The homes will be built through a competitive bidding process and buyers will have to put in “sweat equity” on painting and landscaping.

-- Tres Suenos, a $5.5 million subdivision in far East El Paso near Montana and Rich Beem. The city is buying 50 lots for single-family homes in this “smart growth” community with open space, bicycle lanes, trails connecting neighborhoods and sites for an elementary and high school. $2 million will be available to home buyers.

-- Casitas del Norte, a South El Paso-style group of 43 apartments at Sixth Street and Nino Aguilera across Cotton from Guillen Middle School. The city will lend $2 million for rehabilitation to the property owners. Under the lending terms, the apartment rents must be affordable to low and very low income residents for 30 years, and $351,283 of the loan will be forgivable if the owners comply with the lending terms.

-- Magoffin Park Villas, an $8 million, 91-unit apartment complex going up on vacant property at Magoffin at Ange where 19 units will be affordable for 40 years in exchange for a $1.5 million loan at no interest from the HOME Program.

-- Lower Dyer Neighborhood where the city is backing the construction of 10 duplex and townhome units in an area the city has targeted for improvement. Half of the money for the $1.2 million project will come from the city. Qualifying income levels are being reduced and subsidies raised to allow residents of the area to buy homes.

Jorge Almada, president of the Central El Paso Neighborhood Association, complimented the Lilly and City Manager Joyce Wilson for the attention the city is focusing on Lower Dyer.

“I want to express my appreciation for all the hard work that they’ve been putting in taking care of the lower part of Dyer and Chamizal,” he said, referring to the both areas the city is trying to improve. “This administration is really taking care of those areas.”

To reach David Crowder, write to dcrowder@epmediagroup.com or call (915) 587-6622.