Photos: Alina Simone
El Azteca Housing Development
El Azteca Housing Development is a creation of Azteca Economic Development and Preservation Corporation (AEDPC), an organization dedicated to carving our an affordable niche for low-income families in Laredo's inner city. There clusters of colorful apartment buildings in the Azteca neighborhood provide extremely affordable living for low-income households all within easy reach of downtown Laredo. Five of the 50 units have been modified for people with disabilities. Because El Azteca welcomes Section 8 recipients, many tenants pay rent based on a sliding scale of 1/3 of their earnings.
"We were living all the way in Rio Bravo with my in-laws, three of us in one room. Rent in Laredo was too high and we couldn't afford it. Here we are closer to doctors, work, everything."
The Valdez family pays an average of $241 per month for their 2-bedroom apartment overlooking the Rio Grande