{"id":213788,"date":"2025-09-09T21:08:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:08:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/213788\/"},"modified":"2025-09-09T21:08:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-09T21:08:10","slug":"san-antonio-housing-trust-closes-deal-to-buy-robert-e-lee-apartments","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/213788\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio Housing Trust closes deal to buy Robert E. Lee Apartments"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"The majority of tenants at the Robert E. Lee Apartments in downtown San Antonio receive federal housing vouchers. Credit: Wikimedia Commons \/ Renelibrary<\/p>\n

The San Antonio Housing Trust (SAHT) closed a deal to purchase the historic Robert E. Lee Apartments building Tuesday, closing out a year-long saga<\/a> in which tenants successfully organized against a large developer.\u00a0<\/p>\n

SAHT plans to renovate the 72-unit building at 111 W. Travis St. and keep it as affordable housing, officials with the nonprofit organization sat.\u00a0The majority of Robert E. Lee tenants receive federal housing vouchers and earn 60% or less than the area\u2019s median income.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal was to protect current residents and secure long-term affordable housing in a prime downtown location,\u201d San Antonio Housing Trust Foundation Executive Director Pete Alanis said in a statement.<\/p>\n

Last year, San Antonio real estate development company Weston Urban placed a $4.35 million bid on the 10-story downtown building.\u00a0At the time, the tenants \u2014\u00a0some of whom were formerly homeless \u2014\u00a0told the Current that they feared being forced back onto the streets should the takeover occur. <\/p>\n

Weston Urban\u2019s bid came about a month after the company revealed that residents at downtown\u2019s low-cost Soap Factory Apartments<\/a> would be displaced to make way for a new minor league baseball stadium for the San Antonio Missions. Weston Urban is also a majority stakeholder in the team. <\/p>\n

The Robert E. Lee Tenants Union, led by organizer Megan Navarro, with the help of District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur, fought back against Weston Urban\u2019s deal. The group managed to work out a deal<\/a> with the San Antonio Housing Trust in June.<\/p>\n

Navarro told the Current that she hopes the union\u2019s victory over corporate developers inspires others to fight for housing security.<\/p>\n

\u201cTogether with my neighbors, we have shown that housing is a human right,\u201d Navarro said. \u201cWe are more than our income bracket. We are people that love and care for our community and deserve to live where we want to live.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Tenants\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tTenants or a qualified nonprofit have 90 days to place a counter bid on the downtown low-income apartment building.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Soap\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tSan Antonio ISD is set to discuss the possible land sale issue during a Dec. 16 board meeting.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Tenants\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tResidents of one of downtown\u2019s few affordable-housing complexes said they\u2019re worried they\u2019ll be pushed out.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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