SAN ANTONIO – Landlords, tenants and San Antonio city officials met at this year’s Landlord Summit to find solutions for affordable housing in the Alamo City.
Mark Carmona, chief housing officer for the City of San Antonio, said 95,000 households in San Antonio are spending more than 30% of their income on housing, which is why tenants and landlords should be educated on the available opportunities.
One path to more affordable housing is using Housing Choice Vouchers, awarded to people based on income levels. They allow tenants to pay a fraction of their rent, and Opportunity Home, San Antonio’s housing agency, will pay the landlord the rest.
Voucher recipient Joanie Faircloth said the voucher changed her finances and her life. Before getting the voucher, she struggled to pay rent while trying to care for three small children, working full time and finishing her college degree.
“It was a godsend,” Faircloth said.
Faircloth was able to graduate and better her family’s future. She wants more landlords to join the program, so more housing is available across the city.
“Everybody likes to be close to family. They like to be close to their job,” Faircloth said.
Property owner Kristy Paredes knows the benefit of the voucher program. But she said it can sometimes confuse landlords who are new to the program.
“It’s guaranteed funds. It’s guaranteed rent for the property,” Paredes said. “A lot of it goes back to the paperwork process because the paperwork process is a lot.”
The Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program — commonly known as Section 8 — will accept preliminary applications from June 29, 2023, to July 13, 2023. However, other vouchers remain available for veterans and disabilities. Find more information about the program here.
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