Nicole’s home is neat and orderly, with family pictures hanging on the walls with love. Nicole is a mother to two grown children and lives alone in her two-bedroom home at Medio Springs Ranch Apartments, a purposefully designed affordable housing community in San Antonio, Texas. This is the second home Nicole has lived in, that was developed by HomeSpring Realty Partners. When she heard about the new development, she applied to be one of their first residents.

Nicole is a Bexar County employee, working for the county courthouse, commuting for part of the week and telecommuting the remaining days from her second bedroom, which is furnished as a home office. Her son, Javier (23) is currently a Marine, stationed in San Diego, California. She has a red Marines flag, proudly hanging on the wall by her computer and his photo on the wall in her living room. Nicole’s daughter, Yolanda (22) is currently a college student and visits with her often.

When Nicole thinks about her home, her fondest memories include cooking and sharing food with her friends and family. A large part of her Latino roots is about having a large family and big family gatherings. As she sits on a wrought iron bench on her patio, engraved with her late mother’s name by her brother, she feels a sense of relaxation and peace. “Home, to me, means a place where I can relax, make dinner, have friends and family over, and just be with each other.”