AGENDA - San Antonio Housing Authority

THE EASTSIDE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD TODAYican residents. Despite the disinvestmentand deterioration of the neighborhood, manyare still in existence today. This is a testamentto the resolve of this community.The Eastside Choice Neighborhood is knownfor its landmark institutions, including:St. Philips College, the only college to befederally-designated as a historically blackcollege and a Hispanic-serving institution;Carver Cultural Center, whose origin was alibrary and auditorium for African-Americans;Ella Austin Community Center which beganas an orphanage for black children and nowprovides various services to the area; PhyllisWheatley Middle School, which formerlyserved as the African-American High Schoolfor the area; and both the old Sutton Homesand Wheatley Courts, which was built in the1940s, some of the oldest public housingdevelopments in San Antonio.The 14-memberDilworth family infront of their six-roomhouse. The family paid$16 per month for ahome that containedno inside bath, toilet,or running water.Today, there are approximately 10,469 residentsliving in the Eastside Choice Neighborhood.Households are now predominantlyHispanic. A City of San Antonio Office ofCultural Affairs’ 2002 report states that“the tightly woven fabric of this communitychanged drastically with integration and thedisbursement of people and resources. Duringthe ‘50s and ‘60s, Eastside residents beganmoving with the city’s growth northward.”More and more of the City’s attention andresources were focused on this northwardgrowth and less on east San Antonio, whicheventually led to its deterioration. Despite theEastside Choice Neighborhood’s challenges,the residents have great pride and hope thatpositive change is now within reach. Thissentiment was best said by Norma Witherspoon,a neighborhood small business ownerwhose family has owned businesses in thearea for over 50 years, who stated at theunveiling of the Transformation Plan, “It’s likethe Cavalry has finally arrived.”EASTSIDE CHOICE NEIGHBORHOOD TRANSFORMATION PLANIola Dilworth shown in thekitchen of her former homewhere she lived with her parentsand 11 brothers and sisters.Daisy Ketchum isshown in the threeroomsubstandardhouse, which she,her husband, and fivechildren occupied priorto the construction ofWheatley Courts.Norma Witherspoon (right) with Shakira, who isbeing mentored at Lil Ronnie’s Wigs & Appareland Nick’s Beauty and Supply.13