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SAN ANTONIO HOUSING AUTHORITY September 5, 2013
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
RESOLUTION 5365, SUPPORTING THE VIA STREETCAR; AND SUPPORTING ALTERNATIVE
ROUTES 5 AND 6, BASED ON PROXIMITY TO SAHA’S EXISTING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES
AND SAHA’S PLANNED FUTURE INVESTMENTS AT VICTORIA COMMONS, NEAR CESAR
CHAVEZ BLVD.
Lourdes Castro Ramirez
President and CEO
_______________________________
Richard Milk
Director of Policy & Planning
REQUESTED ACTION:
Consideration and approval of Resolution 5365, supporting the VIA streetcar; and supporting alternative
routes 5 and 6, based on proximity to SAHA’s existing low-income communities and SAHA’s planned
future investments at Victoria Commons, near Cesar Chavez Blvd.
PURPOSE:
SAHA supports investments that improve the transportation options of our clients. SAHA has
committed, by adopting Strategic Plan Goal #3, to “Preserve and improve existing affordable housing
resources and opportunities.” One way the agency has proposed to accomplish this goal is to
“Develop and implement a plan for each SAHA community to effectively access health, education,
transportation, and employment resources.” VIA’s proposed modern streetcar project promises to
improve accessibility between SAHA’s downtown properties and health, education, transportation,
and employment resources. The streetcar will provide direct access to those resources downtown, as
well as connectivity to resources located outside of downtown through transfers at multimodal
stations.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
None.
SUMMARY:
VIA Metropolitan Transit has hosted a series of public meetings, starting in November 2012, regarding
proposed streetcar alignments through downtown San Antonio. Various SAHA staff have participated
in these and other related discussions. SAHA staff analyzed eight alignment alternatives in relation to
existing SAHA properties in the downtown area.
Initial Analysis of SAHA Properties Impacted
In June 2013, SAHA staff analyzed six alternatives in relation to existing SAHA properties in the
downtown area. In July 2013, two additional alternatives were brought to the public for consideration.
These alternatives, 7 and 8, replace Cesar Chavez with service on Commerce / Buena Vista.
Alternatives 1-4 are no longer under consideration.
The properties most impacted by the alignment choices are HemisView, Refugio, Victoria Plaza,
Artisan Park and future phases of Victoria Commons. These four existing properties feature more
than 650 units; of those, 350 units are occupied by low-income and/or senior households, many of
which rely on public transportation for daily needs, such as groceries, medical care, etc. The
HemisView, Refugio and Artisan Park properties represent a $61.2 investment by SAHA over the past
10 years, and the future phases for Victoria Commons, which are presently being developed through
a collaborative community process, are expected to include approximately 400 new units, for an
estimated future investment of another $50 million.