We were greeted by four-year-old Aiden and his outstretched handshake, “My name is Aiden. Nice to meet you!” Natalia Ascencio invites us into her home and swiftly picks up after the children’s morning snack of blueberries and goldfish-shaped cheese crackers. Medio Springs Ranch Apartments, where the Ascencios live, is a purposefully designed affordable housing community in San Antonio, Texas.

Natalia is well-spoken and relaxed. She has her hair pulled back and her children, Aiden (4) and Alexia (2), are eager to show us their toys. They are outgoing and well-mannered. There is a shelf by the front door with a collection of toddler shoes and a plastic jack-o-lantern basket with Halloween candy filled halfway.

After completing University, Natalia and her husband moved from the Houston area and briefly lived in her parents’ home while looking for a place of their own. Natalia was hoping to find a 2-bedroom home in a safe neighborhood, with community amenities to accommodate her growing family and a single income. This was a seemingly impossible task, until she found Medio Springs, which was newly built and taking applications.

Growing up in a single-parent household, it was important for Natalia to be able to provide her children with a stable home with a sense of security that she felt was lacking in her own childhood. The Ascencios feel they are a part of a community at Medio Springs. They often socialize with other families in the neighborhood, using the playground, swimming pool and walking their dog. “I have this stable home with my husband where I’ve been able to watch my kids grow up. Being able to have a family unit is just an experience that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” Natalia says, petting her dog.