San Antonio's Opportunity Home offers relocation help to Soap Factory tenants

San Antonio's public housing authority, Opportunity Home, is offering relocation assistance to tenants at the Soap Factory Apartments.

The Soap Factory, which offers rare affordable housing units downtown, became a political flashpoint after local real-estate developer Weston Urban unveiled plans to demolish the complex to make room for the San Antonio Missions' proposed $160 million baseball stadium.

Opportunity Home is prepared to offer units at its nonprofit mixed-income Beacon Communities to those displaced by the plans. Rents would be comparable to those at the Soap Factory and would include a free month of rent to those affected by the ballpark project, Opportunity Home officials said.

"We are committed to serving those with immediate housing needs at Soap Factory Apartments," Opportunity Home Interim President and CEO Michael Reyes said in a statement. "Through these available homes at Beacon, we hope to provide these families an option for stable housing and bring some relief as they deal with the challenges of relocation. It is simply the right thing to do."

The city's public housing agency also has vacancies at its Victoria Commons community — a workforce housing property near Hemisfair with easy access to a VIA bus line and other job centers downtown.

"It is important we offer housing support to these residents who are facing relocation," Opportunity Home Board of Commissioners Chair Gabe Lopez said in a statement. "We are cognizant that this is a delicate situation, and we we want to offer an immediate solution that is compassionate."

Tenants at the Soap Factory, organizers from the Texas Organizing Project, and representatives from Weston Urban are slated to hold a community forum in front of the complex's leasing office at 6:30 p.m. Monday. The public is invited to attend.

So far, only three City Council members, including District 1's Sukh Kaur, District 2's Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 5's Teri Castillo said they would be in attendance, according to organizers.

Council delayed its vote on the proposed stadium project last week mainly due to concerns about displacement at the Soap Factory. The vote has since been rescheduled for Thursday during council's A Session.

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