Rep. Lloyd Doggett joins HUD Secretary Julian Castro, SAHA, and Local Leaders to Dedicate the East Meadows Community

La Prensita: SAHA unveils enhanced mixed-income housing on the East Side

By Christina Acosta

Posted October 19, 2016

The East Side of San Antonio continues to provide the necessary resources needed for the community to improve, including one major step to create affordable housing.

On Friday morning, the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA), along with U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Julián Castro and The City celebrated the grand opening of the first phase of the East Meadows Apartments, a historic community-wide revitalization project enhancing the East Side of San Antonio with a sustainable mixed-income neighborhood.

With only 35 percent construction left for completion, the restored apartment complex contains 215 housing units as well as a garden, business center, community room, central park, picnic areas, playground, swimming pool, fitness center and social services for adults and children.

The East Meadows Apartments will have a residence fitted for all income, whether it is a one, two or three bedroom garden apartment or a two and three bedroom townhome. East Meadows is located on what was once the site of Wheatley Courts, one of the oldest public housing developments in San Antonio demolished to make room for transformed housing.

“This is a testament of what America can do, and this is also the testament to the leadership we have in San Antonio. I think that the federal government knows that we do have good leaders [referring to Secretary Castro],” expounded SAHA Board of Commissioners Chairman Morris A. Stribling, DPM. “As commissioners, we have the responsibility to make important decisions…We could not do this on our own…and I could not be prouder of the incredible team of SAHA staff.”

The redevelopment is part of a three-part initiative funded through the HUD Choice Neighborhoods Initiative (CNI) Implementation Grant. In 2011, SAHA received a planning grant from HUD for $250,000 to develop the transformation step to revitalize The Wheatley Courts.

Secretary Castro could not be more proud to see the funds going towards improving his hometown and giving all families the opportunity to live more comfortably.

“San Antonio continues to do well economically, compared to other places. This community is resilient; it has a diversified economy and continues to grow in terms of the number of people. However, with the continued growth, there are more pointed challenges,” stated Secretary Castro. “HUD, SAHA and the local government is going to give the community a great quality of life.”

East Meadows Phase I will also include a 4,200-sqaure foot BiblioTech Digital Library operated by Bexar County that is scheduled to be opened by the summer of 2017. Phase II of the East Meadows Apartments plans to construct 80 senior units this fall. Construction of Phase III will begin in summer 2017 and is expected to be completed in October of 2018.