AGENDA - San Antonio Housing Authority

TRANSFORMATION PLANviable and will result in a redevelopmentthat is integrated into the broader Wheatleyneighborhood and the Eastside community.Specific details that will be integrated innew housing initiatives will reflect the overallgoals of the Choice Neighborhood programand will include:• Unit Configurations: The new unitswill be townhouses and walkup gardenapartments with appropriate room sizes,and with bedroom counts and types thatmeet the needs of current resident familysizes. The plan includes an 80-unitsenior building at the heart of the site (alocation requested by the seniors in thecommunity); all other units are in multifamilybuildings.The photos abovedepict similaraffordable housingdevelopments thatMcCormack BaronSalazar, SAHA’sdeveloper partner,has completed.• Environmental Remediation, Energy Efficiencyand Sustainability: The deconstructionprocess will include the saferemoval of all lead and asbestos material,as well as any impacted soils on the site.All Housing will be built to achieve BuildSan Antonio Green Level II or EnterpriseGreen Communities Criteria or both. TheTransformation Plan is pursuing USGBCLEED for Neighborhood Design (LEED-ND)certification.• Accessibility: HUD Standards will be exceededthrough the following: 5% of theunits across unit sizes and an additional5% of one- and two-bedroom units willbe accessible to people with disabilities.• Promote and participate in infill development:To address the number ofvacant parcels and abandoned structureswithin the Choice Neighborhoods footprint,SAHA will work with developer, MBSand the City of San Antonio to determinea strategic area in which to beginacquiring vacant lots and abandonedstructures. The plan calls for a “focusedneighborhood” which will provide theopportunity to leverage and concentrateresources in order to have an immediatevisible impact. The plan will targetthe corridor to the south of the WheatleyCourts as well as each of the two blocksthat front the east and west boundaries ofthe development. As the redevelopmentprogresses, the focused neighborhoodboundaries will expand annually block byblock to the west and south.The first step is to acquire vacant lotscurrently owned by the City to begin landassemblage for future infill housing. Next,SAHA will reach out to owners of privatelyowned properties. Lastly, SAHA will pursuethe following actions:> Utilize $363K in NSP award to purchasevacant lots and abandonedstructures as well as develop an infillplan to go after additional NSP funding.> Utilize funding awarded by Citibankfor infill housing and encourage otherfinancial institutions to participate> Develop design standards for newresidential construction and significantrehabilitation> Develop a mix of housing types toinclude single-family, duplex and insome locations fourplex units• Improve the quality and value of currenthousing stock: An additional tool ofthe “focused neighborhood” approachis owner-occupied rehabilitation. SAHA inpartnership with the City and other nonprofitaffordable housing groups suchEASTSIDE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION PLAN55