Austin Reopens Rosewood Courts After Redevelopment
The east Austin housing development, first opened in 1939 for African American families, now offers 184 modern affordable rental homes.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in African-American
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The Austin Housing Authority reopened the redeveloped Rosewood Courts in east Austin on November 13, 2026. The development includes 184 modern affordable rental homes, 12 nearby affordable homeownership opportunities and 8 restored original bungalows.
Why it matters
Rosewood Courts was the nation's first public housing development built specifically for African American families under the Housing Act of 1937, making its reopening a significant milestone for Austin's history. The project also expands affordable housing options for residents in east Austin.
The redevelopment includes 184 affordable rental homes, 12 affordable homeownership opportunities and 8 restored bungalows with updated kitchens, appliances, heating and air conditioning. Every unit serves households earning 60% or less of Area Median Income, though the stub does not say how many households will be placed in the first year.
The players
Austin Housing Authority
The Austin Housing Authority is the local public agency that owns and manages subsidized housing in Austin, and it led the Rosewood Courts redevelopment.
The details
The site includes interpretive exhibits throughout the community sharing the stories of Rosewood Courts, its residents and the surrounding neighborhood. The redevelopment followed years of planning, construction and community input, with groundbreaking in December 2022.
Timeline
1939: Rosewood Courts first opens as public housing.
December 2022: Groundbreaking for the redevelopment begins.
November 13, 2026: The redeveloped Rosewood Courts reopens.
Cultural Legacy
Rosewood Courts traces back to the Housing Act of 1937, whose public housing program produced it as the nation's first development built specifically for African American families. Its reopening places a historically segregated site back into the affordable housing stock of east Austin.
Eligible Austin households earning 60% or less of Area Median Income can apply for the 184 rental homes at Rosewood Courts. Residents interested in the 12 nearby homeownership opportunities or the restored bungalows should check with the Austin Housing Authority for application details.
The takeaway
Rosewood Courts shows how a site with a segregated past can be rebuilt to serve current residents, and its restored bungalows and exhibits preserve the memory of the community that lived there. Austin readers interested in local housing history can follow the stories it now tells.
Further reading
Explore more African-American culture coverage to see how Rosewood Courts fits into the wider story of Black history in Austin.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KXAN.
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