SAN ANTONIO (Jan. 9, 2019) — The City of San Antonio has been selected to receive the 2019 Audrey Nelson Award by the National Community Development Association (NCDA) for the East Meadows Apartments project and its collaborative work with the Opportunity Home San Antonio.
The East Meadows Apartments project is being recognized for its innovative approach in connecting residents to supportive services such as access to BiblioTech, an early child education program, and the Menger Creek Linear Park. The project will also be recognized for leveraging other funding sources such as Opportunity Home San Antonio Facility Corporation funds, a private construction loan, CPS Energy funding, San Antonio Water System funding, Tax Increment Financing and tax credit equity. East Meadows Apartments utilized $20 million of City of San Antonio Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) grant funds from the U.S Department of Housing and Urban Development to leverage over $39 million in development costs.
“This project is a great example of how CDBG and HOME grant funds can be utilized to provide affordable housing and infrastructure improvements concurrently,” said Verónica R. Soto, director of the City’s Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD).
In December 2018, NHSD submitted an application to the NCDA for the award, which honors communities that exemplify outstanding achievement in service to neighborhoods and their lower-income residents through their innovative use of CDBG and HOME funds.
“I’m proud to see the partnership between the City of San Antonio and the Opportunity Home San Antonio garner national attention for the critical improvements made to the Eastside,” said David Nisivoccia, Opportunity Home President and CEO. “Our hope is that East Meadows will be the model for transformational developments in Texas and the U.S.”
NHSD received notification that the City of San Antonio ranked among the top five projects in the nation. Soto will attend the NCDA Winter Legislative Meeting in Washington D.C. on Jan. 25, 2019 to conduct a presentation on the project and accept the award on behalf of the City.