They protected us from foreign aggressors, and now Santa Clarita has an opportunity to protect them from aggressive mortgage lenders.

The affordable housing project for military veterans and their families known as SCV Habitat for Heroes, a program of Habitat for Humanity, will get its first official public airing Tuesday when it goes before the Santa Clarita Planning Commission.

Envisioned is a community of 87 homes on 9.4 acres of a vacant, 22.8-acre parcel along Centre Pointe Parkway next to Bowman High School. The project would be built in three phases, with the first third breaking ground this summer for occupancy next spring, with the other two phases to follow a year apart.

In total, the project would include 11 single-story detached homes and 76 two-story duplex units, with a children’s play area, gazebo and various green spaces.

To qualify for the housing, veterans and their families would have to earn 80 percent or less of the median income.

Part of what the Planning Commission will be asked to do Tuesday is change the zoning for the property from “business park” to “residential moderate.” A city staff report notes that the homes would be close to shopping, a preschool, the city Sports Complex, a bike path, a bus stop and a Metrolink station.

The report states that the 9.4-acre development site is relatively flat and while it’s near a ridgeline, the “hilly” part of the property would be undisturbed. There’s a dead oak tree on the property and the live oaks wouldn’t be impacted, the report states. A total of  199,992 cubic yards of earth would be moved, including 68,005 cubic yards on site and 131,986 cubic yards that would be imported from a nearby location on Centre Pointe Parkway.

“All setbacks, heights and building forms within the proposed project are appropriate for the subject property in the Urban Residential 3 (UR3) land use designation and Residential Moderate (RM) zone,” the city report states.

If the Planning Commission green-lights the project Tuesday, it would go to the City Council for final approval.