The revitalization of The Bridges included construction of a community center where recreational and educational programs are held. Improvements to units, buildings, and common areas and facilities were all part of the renovation.

The Oaklake Apartments in the Cypress Station area of Harris County, Texas, were built in 1979 for small, middle-income households. The complex was especially popular with young professionals. During the 1980s, the local petrochemical and construction industries declined substantially, and the Cypress Station community experienced a dramatic increase in unemployment; many residents left the community. By the late 1980s, Oaklake was occupied primarily by lower-income families. As rents fell and occupancy rates declined, the buildings and surroundings deteriorated. By the early 1990s, the 452-unit complex, owned by the Resolution Trust Corporation, had become a center of drug activity.

In 1993, nine area churches and a community-based social agency began to explore the possibility of acquiring Oaklake and providing its residents with much-needed social services. They enlisted the help of the Houston Inter-Faith Housing Corporation, which has developed and managed affordable housing in Harris County since 1966. Ultimately, these groups, along with the Harris County Community Development Department (HCCDD), formed a partnership to acquire, rehabilitate, and manage Oaklake Apartments. In July 1995, the Houston Inter-Faith Housing Corporation purchased the complex and renamed it The Bridges.

The HCCDD provided a grant of about $1 million in HOME funds to leverage the remaining $7 million needed to acquire and rehabilitate the property. It took only six months for the Houston Inter-Faith Housing Corporation, with the support of the churches, to raise the necessary funds and secure federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credits and a $3.6 million loan from Bank of America.

The buildings were extensively rehabilitated: all exterior stucco was replaced, walkways were enclosed, and roofs were repaired. In addition, new play areas and a community center were built. The 18-acre complex includes three swimming pools, soccer fields, basketball and volleyball courts, and security gates. Monthly rents range from $365 to $650 for one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Twenty percent of the residents are very low income and 80 percent are low income. The turnover rate is 5 percent, compared with 7 to 10 percent for other rental properties in Houston.

The 6,400-square-foot community center maintains a library, and the participating churches, now called Community Friends of The Bridges, provide on-site recreational and social services. A full-time executive director manages the programs, which include job placement and retention, emergency financial assistance, a summer lunch program, and information and referrals to community resources and social service providers. Educational programs include volunteer tutoring for elementary school students, classes in English as a Second Language and an infant development program.

Through the work of a dedicated partnership, Oaklake Apartments was transformed into The Bridges, providing quality affordable housing and a variety of much-needed services for low- and moderate-income families in Cypress Station.