San Antonio officials and community leaders gathered Wednesday morning on the city’s East Side for the groundbreaking of a 180-unit affordable housing complex that developers say will offer high-quality, income-restricted apartments to working families in a neighborhood that has seen rising rents price out longtime residents over the past several years.
The Eastside Commons development, located on a previously vacant city-owned parcel near the intersection of Commerce Street and Walters Avenue, is a partnership between the San Antonio Housing Authority, a local nonprofit development corporation, and a private investment group. The $48 million project will include a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units, with all apartments designated for households earning between 30 and 80 percent of the area median income.
“This is exactly the kind of investment that San Antonio’s families need and deserve,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg, who participated in the groundbreaking ceremony alongside city council members and representatives from the development team. “The East Side has so much to offer, and ensuring that longtime residents can afford to remain here as the neighborhood grows is a core commitment of this city.”
The East Side has experienced significant development pressure in recent years, driven in part by its proximity to downtown and the growth of the East Side Arts District, which has attracted new restaurants, galleries, and entertainment venues. While that investment has been welcomed, advocates for low-income residents have raised concerns about displacement as property values and rents have increased.
San Antonio Housing Authority CEO David Nisivoccia said the project was designed to address those concerns directly. “This is not happening in spite of neighborhood growth — it’s happening because of it,” Nisivoccia said. “As this neighborhood becomes more desirable, we want to make sure that the people who built this community are part of its future.”
The complex will include a community room, a children’s play area, a computer learning lab, and a courtyard garden. On-site services, including job training resources and financial coaching provided through a partnership with Goodwill Industries of San Antonio, will also be available to residents.
Construction is expected to take approximately 18 months, with the first residents moving in by fall 2027. The project is financed through a combination of federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits, city housing funds, HOME Investment Partnerships Program grants, and private equity.
Local advocates for affordable housing said the project was a meaningful step but called on the city to accelerate its broader housing strategy. “One hundred and eighty units is real and it matters, but San Antonio’s affordable housing shortage is in the tens of thousands of units,” said Rosa Cantu, executive director of the SA Housing Justice Coalition. “We need more projects like this, and we need them faster.”
The city’s Housing Policy Framework, adopted in 2023, sets a goal of producing or preserving 28,000 affordable units by 2030. City officials said the Eastside Commons project was one of several in various stages of development that would contribute to that target, though they acknowledged that demand continues to outpace production.
For families eager to apply for a unit, the development team said a waitlist would open approximately 12 months before the anticipated opening date, with preference given to current East Side residents and San Antonio Housing Authority voucher holders.
