Sweltering heat and muggy skies provided a powerful symbol for Hope through Housing’s celebration May 22 of the opening of a new community room at Lexington Square affordable housing community in Angleton, Texas.
The 600-square-foot room will provide a cool, comfortable space for service coordinators to deliver scholastic tutoring to children, teen programs, food support, financial coaching for adults and senior wellness programs at the 80-apartment rural community.
“Our new community room is amazing,” said Crystal, a mother of four who has lived at the community for 21 years. “It was really needed. Before, they would try to do all this really nice stuff, but there just wasn’t any room.”
Hope through Housing Regional Director Lakeshia Johnson advocated for the room after seeing outdoor programs disrupted by the region’s wildly variable weather. A leasing office provided room for smaller events, but not for larger gatherings.
“Our weather is insane. One minute you’re smoldering hot and the next you’re freezing. Right now, we’re having an attack of killer mosquitoes. Our weatherman never knows what’s coming next,” Crystal said.
The room is outfitted with a large TV, comfy floor-level chairs for children, as well as a fully stocked book nook. But mostly, it offers a pleasant, flexible space for the many programs offered by Hope through Housing.
National CORE, which renovated Lexington Square about 12 years ago, built the new community room in response to Hope through Housing’s request. Construction started in July 2023. The room opened in early 2024.
Watch video highlights of our grand opening celebration.