About Us

          Overview

Galveston is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf Coast approximately 50 miles south of Houston. The island, 30 miles long and up to 3 miles wide, separates the Gulf of Mexico from West Bay, which is part of the Galveston Bay system. It lies at the eastern end of a nearly continuous chain of barrier islands that extends more than 600 miles along the Texas and Mexican coasts.

The Galveston Housing Authority (GHA) has provided housing to low income families on the island for the last 68 years. GHA was formed on April 18, 1940, by the mayor at that time. A survey of substandard housing in Galveston was conducted and submitted to the U.S. Housing Authority in Washington, D.C, and it was determined that there was an immediate need for housing.

On September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike made landfall flooding 75% of Galveston Island. Hurricane Ike was one of the most destructive natural disasters to make landfall in the United States. Hurricane Ike destroyed all four of Galveston Housing Authority’s family public housing developments: Oleander Homes, Magnolia Homes, Palm Terrace and Cedar Terrace.

Prior to Hurricane Ike, the Galveston Housing Authority (GHA) operated 900 units of Public Housing in four family units and two senior developments, and administered 697 Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers. Post Ike, GHA currently operates 410 units of public housing at Gulf Breeze, Holland House, the Oaks senior duplexes and scattered sites, and 1213 Housing Choice Vouchers.

During 2001-2002, GHA completed Cornerstone Place, a 32-unit subdivision built on the property formerly housing Cedar Terrace Residents, and as recently as 2005 Old Palm Terrace was demolished to construct The Oaks, a 28-home subdivision and 20-unit elderly duplex facility for public housing residents. These developments are still thriving post-Ike.