Civic Heart Moves HQ

HOUSTON — Civic Heart Community Services relocated its headquarters to One Emancipation Center at 3131 Emancipation Ave. in Houston’s Third Ward in June 2023. The 34-year-old organization, the largest Black-founded non-profit organization in the Gulf Coast region, formerly known as Change Happens!, recently announced its name change to Civic Heart Community Services.

Civic Heart outgrew its previous location on Elgin Street, home to the organization for the past 18 years. The new 10-year lease for 13,028 SF allows Civic Heart to remain in the historic Third Ward, while adding much needed space to accommodate the growing number of programs and services.

Just since 2019, the organization increased its investment in the community by 240 percent and now offers 25 programs in 59 Texas counties through grants and partnerships with a wide range of partners, thanks to its team of 75 culturally diverse employees and more than 280 volunteers.

The organization helps prevent young people from becoming entangled in the youth justice system. It enables families to access health insurance, acts to end HIV and prevent substance misuse, helps those experiencing homelessness with housing and other essential support including connection to employment and mental health treatment and provides mentoring to refugee youth as they adapt to living in a new country, among other assistance.

Located across Emancipation Park in Houston, One Emancipation Center was developed by the Midtown Redevelopment Authority in partnership with the Center for Civic and Public Policy Improvement as Houston’s first central headquarters for affordable housing programs. Serving as a hub for affordable housing initiatives, office space and community gatherings, the building opened in 2021 and houses a mix of organizations engaged in affordable housing advocacy, administration and support services.

John Guess III  of The Guess Group  represented Civic Heart. Vergel Gay & Associates  provided project management services.