Fort Worth’s public hospital system, JPS Health Network, has collaborated with NRP Group to develop Thrive on Crawford, a new affordable housing project. The complex, located at 1310 Crawford Street next to JPS’ Southside Fort Worth campus, replaces an old parking lot previously owned by the hospital.
JPS established a public facility corporation to participate in the development alongside NRP Group. The project includes 67 units, with specific allocations based on income levels: seven units for those earning 30 percent of the area median income (AMI), 24 units for those at 50 percent AMI, and 29 units for renters at 60 percent AMI. Seven additional units are offered at market rates.
Max Whipple, vice president of development for Cleveland-based NRP Group, stated that the land remains under JPS ownership while NRP Group holds a ground lease. “The pandemic got JPS leadership thinking about employees’ commute times and sparked interest in providing affordable housing options for employees,” Whipple said.
Thrive on Crawford was financed partly through Texas’ 9 percent housing tax credit program, which provides equity for affordable housing projects selected by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs. Additional funding came from the Near Southside tax increment financing zone. The total development cost was approximately $21.8 million, with $15 million provided through tax credits.
NRP Group has completed similar projects in Ohio with Metro Health and Cleveland Clinic. According to Whipple, this is the first such initiative in Texas using this partnership model. He added that NRP Group plans further developments utilizing public facility corporations across Texas and is currently working with Austin Independent School District on a $142 million multifamily project at 4900 Gonzales Street.
This effort reflects a broader trend among hospital systems in Texas becoming more active in real estate development. On the commercial side, health care institutions have started acquiring office properties rather than leasing them; University Health’s purchase of a San Antonio office building in 2024 is one example.
