KSAT News: New 600-acre development to bring more affordable homes to South Side
RJ Marquez & William Caldera, KSAT News
SAN ANTONIO – A new housing community is breathing life into the South Side.
The City of San Antonio and its partners broke ground Monday on a 600-acre development, bringing more affordable housing to the area.
The community named Los Arcos at Vida is located in the 10200 block of South Zarzamora.
This is the first of 14 major housing projects that use funds from the city’s housing bond program that voters approved in 2022.
“Voters in San Antonio had the foresight to change our charter to allow for housing affordability bonds, and this is the very first project to come to fruition because of that,” said San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “Last year, this project would not have been possible without that, and that allows us to maintain housing affordability in some of these areas where we need more units developed.”
Los Arcos will be a 324-unit affordable housing community of single-family homes and duplexes with a range of mixed incomes.
“Everywhere from families making about $22,000 a year, all the way up to families making $52,000 a year. Deeply affordable all the way to families at 70% of the area median income or below,” said Veronica Garcia, City of San Antonio’s director of the Neighborhood & Housing Services Department. “It’s not just an affordable place for families to live. It’s really building a community with on-site services for the residents and lots of amenities that the families and individuals can enjoy.”
The development is also located down the street from Texas A&M University-San Antonio and will be adjacent to a new University Health facility undergoing construction.
There will also be more opportunities for people living at Los Arcos to access jobs, preventative services and health care.
“That will come with the University Health System. We know that it’s going to take three or so years to get this hospital going, but the educational component of that is going to be critical for our residents as well,” said Adriana Rocha-Garcia, District 4 councilwoman. “It’s also critical for our students to see Texas A&M-San Antonio here, to know they can just walk or bike down and maybe go to a university right next to their homes.”
Homes at Los Arcos are expected to be ready for leasing by next year.
“It’s quality mixed-income housing that allows us to welcome more people to this area,” said Gretchen Howell, Senior VP of Development for SouthStar communities. “Our vision is that healthy communities represent the broad population and welcome everybody to live in that vibrant, quality lifestyle.”
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