North San Antonio Edition | February 2023

Who is helping? Below are some local public- and private-sector organizations that help connect people in need with aordable housing options and other personal services. Opportunity Home (San Antonio Housing Authority): 210-477-6000. www.homesa.org City of San Antonio Housing Assistance Program: 210-207-5309. www.sanantonio.gov/ NHSD/Programs/FairHousing Housing Authority of Bexar County: 210-225-0071. www.habctx.org

those factors combined have contrib- uted to a growing awareness of the need for housing that’s aordable,” Hinojosa said. Although 12 of the rst 14 projects launching under the aordable hous- ing bond are in older neighborhoods primarily inside Loop 410, two of the projects—Fiesta Trails and Vista at Silver Oaks—will be built between Loop 410 and Loop 1604 and east of US 281. Opportunity Home is partner- ing with Florida developer Atlantic Pacic to build the 76-unit Vista at Sil- ver Oaks Apartments near Silver Oaks and Brazil drives north of Castle Hills. Costing $28 million, Vista at Sil- ver Oaks received $3.3 million in bond proceeds and will be priced for households earning 30%-60% of AMI, according to Opportunity Home ocials. Jessica Wade Pfeer, Atlantic Pacic public relations representa- tive, said the Vista at Silver Oaks loca- tion oers residents quick access to transit, grocery stores, pharmacies, medical care, employment, schools, parks and recreational amenities. She also cited a shortage of high-quality aordable housing options citywide, including the north side. “The city has shown incredible leadership as they work to address the city’s aordable housing shortage in today’s challenging inationary environment,” Pfeer said. Opportunity Home is partnering with Cleveland-based developer NRP Group to construct the 60-unit Fiesta Trails Apartments on an undevel- oped tract along West I-10 between Huebner and DeZavala roads. At a cost of $18.7 million, Fiesta Trails received $1.5 million in bond funds and will be priced for households making 30%-60% of AMI, according to Opportunity Home ocials. District 8 City Council Member Manny Pelaez said Fiesta Trails would positively benet the area, adding the housing bond supports types of projects that may help dis- pel some negative perceptions about aordable housing. “That’s an image perpetrated by irresponsible movies and TV shows,” Pelaez said. “Projects like Fiesta Trails work. These places are quite beautiful and bring panache to the surrounding neighborhood.” Aiding the homeless Katie Vela, executive director of local nonprot the South Alamo

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San Antonio Housing Trust Foundation: 210-735-2772. www.sahousingtrust.org/ resources-links CPS Energy aordability discounts: 210-353-6777. www.cpsenergy.com/en/ customer-support/ customer-assist-programs/ aordability-discounts.html San Antonio Water System Uplift aordability program: 210-223-2273. https://uplift.saws.org

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Regional Alliance for the Homeless, said her organization, the city, and their public- and private-sector part- ners must do all they can to encourage more aordable housing citywide. This, Vela said, includes connect- ing unsheltered persons to hous- ing options with on-site supportive services, including health care, job placement, education, and substance abuse and family violence counsel- ing, meant to help those persons stay in a safe, reliable home and improve their quality of life. Vela said COVID-19’s eects are among many socioeconomic chal- lenges exacerbating homelessness. The SARAH count of the local home- less population in early 2022 found 2,995 unsheltered individuals city- wide, Vela said. “No one organization can have the full impact on the homelessness that we’re dealing with,” Vela said. The city began soliciting a second round of housing bond projects Feb. 3 with proposals due March 20, said Ian Benavidez, the city’s neighborhood and housing services deputy director. “We’re especially emphasizing pre- serving existing housing. We know, for many people, the most aordable housing is the one you’re in right now,” Benavidez said.

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NORTH SAN ANTONIO EDITION • FEBRUARY 2023