$1 Million Federal Investment Supports New NALCAB Headquarters Near San Antonio’s Historic Market Square
A new federal investment aimed at strengthening economic opportunity and community development is headed to San Antonio’s West Side. On March 10, 2026, Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas) announced that $1 million in federal funding will support the renovation of a historic building near San Antonio’s Historic Market Square to serve as the future headquarters of the National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders (NALCAB).
The investment is expected to transform the historic site into a community-centered space designed to expand services, collaboration, and nonprofit resources focused on economic development. Once completed, the renovated building will provide expanded space for training, community gatherings, and programs that support small businesses, affordable housing initiatives, and nonprofit capacity-building efforts in San Antonio and beyond.
Connecting Economic Opportunity to San Antonio’s West Side Roots
Historic Market Square has long served as a cultural and commercial hub for San Antonio’s West Side, making the location particularly meaningful for an organization whose work centers on economic opportunity in Latino communities.
Congressman Greg Casar said the project reconnects the organization’s mission with the neighborhood’s historic role in entrepreneurship and community life.
“NALCAB has helped Latino entrepreneurs and community organizations grow and thrive, and bringing them back near Historic Market Square reconnects that work to its roots in the Westside,” said Congressman Greg Casar (D-Texas). “I’m proud to support NALCAB with this $1 million federal investment so they can expand their essential services to support small businesses and increase access to affordable housing for even more San Antonians.”
The federal funding was secured through the Community Project Funding process for the Fiscal Year 2026 federal spending bills after the City of San Antonio applied for the grant through Casar’s office.
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A Historic Building Reimagined as a Community Hub
Plans for the future headquarters involve renovating a historic West Side bank building and transforming it into a modern space that reflects both the neighborhood’s history and its future.
Designed in collaboration with the architecture and design firm Gensler, the project envisions a light-filled atrium, gathering spaces for nonprofit collaboration, and an outdoor plaza capable of hosting community events and neighborhood mercaditos. The goal is to create a space where community organizations, nonprofit leaders, and local entrepreneurs can connect and share resources.
Marla Bilonick, President and CEO of NALCAB, said the project will strengthen the organization’s ability to convene partners and expand services that support economic mobility.
“We thank Congressman Casar for securing this federal investment, which will allow us to restore our new building in San Antonio’s Market Square, a place with deep cultural and historic meaning for the community, and strengthen our work advancing economic opportunity in Latino and low- and moderate-income communities in Texas and across the nation,” Bilonick said.
“By strengthening our ability to train, convene, and support nonprofit organizations, this project will help grow small businesses, expand affordable housing, and advance economic development in communities that are too often left out of opportunity.”
Supporting Small Businesses, Housing and Community Development
NALCAB, headquartered in San Antonio, operates as a national intermediary supporting community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and nonprofit organizations focused on economic development.
The organization’s network includes more than 200 member organizations working across all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico. Together, these groups focus on increasing access to capital, expanding small business development, strengthening neighborhoods, and improving access to affordable housing.
NALCAB’s impact has grown significantly in recent years. In March 2026, the organization announced it had surpassed $50 million in loans deployed through its national lending network. Those investments support nonprofit lenders and economic development organizations working directly with entrepreneurs and families in communities across the country.
In 2025 alone, borrowers supported through NALCAB’s network originated more than 250,000 small business loans totaling approximately $245 million. The funding helped create 662 new businesses, support 945 jobs, and contribute to the development of 363 affordable housing units nationwide.
NALCAB also provides technical assistance, leadership training, and advisory services to nonprofit organizations and public agencies working on community development initiatives.
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A Broader Mission Rooted in Community Development
As a U.S. Treasury-certified Community Development Financial Institution intermediary, NALCAB focuses on four core areas it calls the “Four C’s”: capital, capacity, collective voice, and comunidad. Through these pillars, the organization helps nonprofits access financing, strengthen operational capacity, advocate for policy improvements, and build networks of collaboration.
Programs include lending and impact investing for nonprofit lenders, small business development initiatives, training and leadership development for community practitioners, and policy advocacy at local, state, and federal levels.
NALCAB also operates the Solutions Lab, which provides advisory services to municipalities, housing authorities, states, and rural communities managing economic development projects and federal funding programs.
What the Investment Could Mean for the Community
For San Antonio residents, particularly those on the city’s West Side, the new headquarters could bring increased nonprofit activity, community programming, and economic development resources to the Historic Market Square area.
The renovated building is expected to serve not only as an administrative headquarters but also as a convening space where nonprofit leaders, community organizations, and entrepreneurs can meet, train, and collaborate.
Congressman Casar represents Texas’s 35th Congressional District, which stretches along the I-35 corridor from East Austin through Hays County to San Antonio’s West Side. A former labor organizer and the son of Mexican immigrants, Casar currently serves as Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus for the 119th Congress and sits on the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
As the renovation project moves forward, community leaders and nonprofit partners will be watching how the new headquarters helps strengthen the network of organizations working to support small businesses, affordable housing, and neighborhood development across San Antonio and the broader national Latino community.
Residents can stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates as the NALCAB headquarters renovation near Historic Market Square progresses.
Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.