New built-to-rent community opens near San Antonio's Brooks

A new South Side housing community is betting that San Antonio renters want more than cramped studios. Los Cielos at Brooks is now offering single-family and duplex homes with all the amenities of purchased properties but none of the burdens of home ownership.

The 488-home community in the former Brooks Air Force Base features two- to four-bedroom layouts, each with a direct-access garage, quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, walk-in closets, and smart-home tech. The currently available units run $1,890-$2,845 inclusive of common fees like pest control and trash services. The development keeps all costs transparent in a handy guide that also includes add-ons such as pet fees and positive credit reporting.

The homes themselves are a mix of modern farmhouse, cottage, and contemporary styles, with asymmetrical rooflines and siding and body color options. The variety is meant to give Los Cielos the feel of a more traditional neighborhood instead of the ticky-tacky homogeneity found at similar rental developments.

Los Cielos at Brooks The property includes a resort-style pool.Photo by Menary Studio, courtesy of KTGY

The community also includes access to several amenities not always found in apartment complexes, including a cafe-style clubhouse, a fitness center, a pool, fire pits, a playground, pickleball courts, and a pet park with its own washing station. Flexible coworking spaces are onsite for residents who want to take a break from their dining table.

After the Air Force ceased missions in 2011, Brooks has been redeveloped into a live-work community with lodging, apartment communities, educational campuses, and corporate headquarters. At the heart is the Greenline Park, a 2018 addition featuring hike-and-bike trails, community space, and the signature Running with the Moon sculpture, which hides a time capsule to be opened in 2118.

The area has also become a hub for restaurants. Although many of the offerings are common chains like Chili’s and Outback Steakhouse, a new wave of concepts is coming to the nearby La Picosa Town Center, including Los Amores de Julia Mexican Bistro from notable Sinaloan chef Misael Guerrero.

Photo by Menary Studio, courtesy of KTGY

Los Cielos at Brooks is now open to renters.

rentals brooks south side housing

Rent Report

Nearly half of Texas renters are drowning in housing costs

Photo by Isaac Quesada on Unsplash

For almost half of Texas renters, 30 percent of their income goes to housing.

Millions of Texas renters, both current residents and new arrivals, suffer from wallet whiplash.

A new report from the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers shows 45 percent of the state’s renters spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. Renters occupy more than 4.2 million Texas households, representing nearly half of the state’s residents.

Worse yet, 81 percent of extremely low-income households in Texas spend more than 50 percent of their income on housing, the report says. For that income group, Texas has a shortage of 864,000 affordable homes.

Thirty percent is the standard financial benchmark for spending too much income on rent, while 50 percent puts a renter in the “severely cost-burdened” bucket.

“To sustain growth and secure future prosperity, Texas will need more than 320,000 additional affordable homes [rented and owned] to address workforce housing affordability and meet the demands of a growing population,” says the report.

“Today, the state is creating thousands of new jobs,” the report adds, “but housing supply has not kept pace with demand, driving up housing costs and constraining continued economic growth.”

Not surprisingly, people who live in or move to three of Texas’ biggest metro areas get hit with the state’s highest apartment rental rates. Here’s Apartments.com’s list of the 10 most expensive places for renters in Texas, based on apartments whose average size ranges from 713 square feet in Austin to 771 square feet in Plano:

1. Frisco — $1,477 per month
2. Plano — $1,461 per month
3. Austin — $1,417 per month
4. Dallas — $1,413 per month
5. McKinney — $1,363 per month
6. Grand Prairie — $1,327 per month
7. Irving — $1,318 per month
8. Garland — $1,237 per month
9. Fort Worth — $1,217 per month
10. Houston — $1,183 per month

San Antonio boasts some of the lowest average rent among Texas’ 10 most affordable markets: $1,075 per month. Mesquite, a Dallas-Fort Worth suburb, also fits into that category, with average monthly rent of $1,052.

Earlier this month, Gov. Greg Abbott announced more than $114 million in grants to help develop or rehabilitate properties, providing more than 4,400 affordable rental units.

“As our state grows, we must ensure that Texans have access to the affordable housing they need to thrive,” Abbott says.

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