{"id":24430,"date":"2020-06-28T06:40:28","date_gmt":"2020-06-28T13:40:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/?p=24430"},"modified":"2026-02-22T15:30:24","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T23:30:24","slug":"creating-comunidad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yardi.com\/blog\/creating-comunidad\/","title":{"rendered":"Creating Comunidad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Antonio Marquez\u2019 Comunidad Partners<\/a>\u2019 properties in Sunbelt markets throughout the U.S. were standouts in the affordable housing sector.<\/p>\n

Not only did they offer safe and affordable residences for families, but residents of the portfolio\u2019s approximately 10,000 units could take advantage of after school programs, health and wellness classes, financial literacy and tax help courses, and more.<\/p>\n

Featured at a 2018 Fannie Mae conference hosted by The Atlantic and profiled in this exceptional video posted by Affordable\"\"<\/a> Housing Finance, it\u2019s easy to grasp the sense of community that Comunidad Partners created from its start in 2007 \u2013 when Marquez founded the company to invest in underserved workforce and affordable housing communities.<\/p>\n

Asked often about his \u201cwhy\u201d for such deep community involvement, Marquez says he was motivated by his family background. As immigrants and entrepreneurs, his parents Juan Antonio and Pamela instilled a strong sense of community responsibility in Antonio Jr. His father began his working life as a vineyard worker, but ultimately started one of the nation\u2019s largest distribution networks of Hispanic foods from his garage. His son learned that with a good idea, and a lot of hard work, amazing outcomes could be achieved. After finishing his undergraduate degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California, he began exploring the multifamily industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to provide more than just shelter. These are living, breathing souls and families,\u201d Marquez said. \u201cI really boiled down my \u2018why?\u2019 to what I took for granted growing up. My parents made sacrifices and were phenomenal in terms of supporting us and providing a quality roof over our head, food on the table, a good education even though we were a low income family. My \u2018Why?\u2019 was to provide these same impactful things to the communities we serve so that the same opportunities exist in underserved communities and, hopefully, in many ways could positively change lives like they did with my family.\u201d When signing his first deal in San Antonio for a 209-unit property, the desire to support its residents was already part of his plan.<\/p>\n

Watch the video:<\/p>\n