This news article will explain what happened to a public housing project called Menchaca Homes which was located in San Antonio, Texas.
Menchaca Homes were built on the city’s West Side in 1952 and completed in 1953. Menchaca Homes housed 600 people. (Ref: https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth614033/m1/35/zoom/?q=%22menchaca%20homes%22&resolution=2&lat=1726.5&lon=750)
There were a lot of unflattering myths about subsidized housing projects like Menchaca Homes. A lot of outsiders refer to the housing developments as ghettos. That’s not the case here. Most of the tenants were beautiful people. The developments serve as way stations for people trying to lift themselves by their bootstraps. The public would be surprised to know how many times that kind of story is repeated in San Antonio. For some reason the news media plays it up more when it occurs in the developments. Yet only 40% percent of the residents living there received welfare. The welfare was for working people whose wages were below the poverty level. Tenants moved every month. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/51437716)
Menchaca Homes had 15 units specifically reserved senior citizen residents. The number hardly went past 15. (Ref: https://books.google.com/books?id=UxaV5WZQ_cUC&q=%22menchaca+homes%22&dq=%22menchaca+homes%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjUnN3HpI_1AhXPlGoFHQRjDWcQ6AF6BAgKEAI)
A miniature twister knocked down a wall at Menchaca Homes in 1959. Luckily no one was injured and the housing development remained unharmed for the most part. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/29701021/)
A low bid of $39,200 was approved for Meador Construction Co. for replacement of curbs, gutters and streets in a project to repair severe drainage problems at Menchaca Homes in 1972. There was a purchase of $1,457 for 62 specially constructed door frames to accommodate shifting foundations at Menchaca Homes was also approved from the Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc. (Ref: https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/66704139/)
Menchaca Homes slowly fell into a state of decline which led building to become dilapidated and uninhabitable. 
A $4.5 million grant was issued to the San Antonio Housing Authority Tuesday to tear down the dilapidated Menchaca Homes and to help residents find alternative housing in late 1996. More than $700 million was doled out to 74 communities nationwide to demolish substandard public housing units and improve current housing developments. (Ref: San Antonio Express-News, SAHA gets grant to tear down Manchaca Homes, October 9, 1996)
US HUD had awarded the San Antonio Housing Authority's HOPE VI Program $98.6 million in HOPE VI funds, including two planning grants, one demolition grant, and two implementation grants. The demolition grant was approved in September 1996 for Menchaca Homes to demolish distressed units. Menchaca Homes were included in the Mirasol HOPE VI grant which costed about $840,726. (Ref: https://archives.hud.gov/offices/oig/reports/files/ig961003.pdf)
Menchaca Homes were demolished after several years of sitting in decay and dilapidation. That is what happened to Menchaca Homes. A series of multi-family and single-family homes allot the site of the former Menchaca Homes public housing development.
Menchaca Homes were located at 320 Blue Ridge Drive, San Antonio, Texas, US 78228.
No comments:
Post a Comment