San Antonio’s Alazán-Apache Courts have played a significant role in the economic and cultural history of the city’s historic West Side.
Known as “Los Courts,” the city’s oldest and largest public housing project is home to around 1,800 low-income, elderly, and disabled individuals.
It’s been a decades-long fight of community activism to keep Los Courts and its residents in place as the number of available public housing units in San Antonio and across the country continue to dwindle due to age and disrepair.
The courts were recently included in the 2026 Endangered Latinx Landmarks by the nonprofit Latinos in Heritage Conservation (LHC).
Graciela Sánchez, director of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center in San Antonio, has been a key champion in preserving the Alazán-Apache Courts.
She said recent plans to demolish Los Courts threatened the significant impact they have had on the community since they were first established almost 90 years ago.
“There’s historical value to these buildings because they were the first in San Antonio’s public housing, but also people have memories and people live here,” Sanchez said. “When you tear down 1,000 homes, you’re going to displace people.”
Sehila Mota-Casper, executive director of LHC, said issues of inequitable housing continue to affect Latinos today.
“We’re dealing with a serious housing crisis,” said Mota Capser. “With this listing, we were able to showcase the incredible history that Los Cortes holds, but also to be able to advocate for keeping them in place.”
Read about the history of the Alazán-Apache Courts here in a virtual exhibit from the Museo del Westside.
