SAN ANTONIO — On Tuesday, the City of San Antonio celebrated a major milestone. The city is adding more than 1,000 new affordable housing units to its inventory, and it’s all thanks to a historic bond.
Tirol Housing broke ground on Culebra Road Apartments on the west side Tuesday evening. The complex will create 199 affordable homes. It’s one of several city-supported housing projects popping up around town.
“Concentrating our housing in one area of town is not what we are aiming to do,” said Ian Benavidez, the Deputy Director of the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. “In fact, all of the projects that have been approved are in six council districts.”
Last year, voters passed a $150 million bond to tackle San Antonio’s growing housing crisis.
“It’s producing housing in partnership with the private sector that isn’t normally produced by the marketplace itself,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg.
San Antonio allocated $1.75 million of the housing bond to the Culebra Road Apartments.
Officials say 178 units will be available to families earning less than 60% of the San Antonio’s median income, which is $47,460 for a family of three. 21 units will be considered “deeply affordable.” They will be reserved for families earning less than 30% of the median income, which is $23,750 for a family of three.
Construction is set to wrap up in the fall of 2025, according to developers.
“The housing crisis in America is perhaps the most fundamental issue facing the economy of the future,” said Nirenberg. “[This groundbreaking] marks 1,000 units being completed. It brings a lot of feelings, but I guess the predominant one is gratitude to San Antonio community for once again standing behind their neighbors.”
Nirenberg says, in total, the bond will create about 2,000 new affordable units.
“So much of quality of life in San Antonio; whether that’s safety issues, homelessness issues or economic prosperity, relies on whether we can have a safe, affordable, healthy market for housing,” Nirenberg said.