Project Row Houses was formed in 1993 to address social change in one of Houston’s most challenged neighborhoods, the Third Ward. Originally settled by freed blacks following the Civil War, the Third Ward was, until the 1960s, a thriving mixed income neighborhood with
an indigenous arts and music culture.

The end of housing segregation led to an eventual departure of upper- and middle-income African American families. The resulting decline in income and education among residents remaining in the area led to Third Ward’s designation by the City of Houston as a “pocket of poverty”. Project Row Houses offers art-based education programs to lift up the neighborhood by changing the environment.

Over time, housing issues were added to the original organization’s mission. As the scope of housing activities grew, Row House CDC was spun off in 2003 to focus exclusively on housing challenges and economic development initiatives in the Northern Third Ward. Row House CDC and PRH exist side-by-side, offering complementary services to neighborhood residents.