Housing plan will better aid the vulnerable
We are in a housing crisis, with some 95,000 households in Bexar County struggling to keep roofs over their heads — but thankfully, local leaders are making affordable housing a priority.
Earlier this month, the San Antonio City Council approved a sequel to the city’s 2018 Housing Policy Framework, a 10-year plan for affordable housing that needed to be expanded to meet the overwhelming need.
Approved Dec. 17, the new Strategic Housing Implementation Plan, or SHIP, is a $3.37 billion plan that will increase the number of rental units and home ownership for low-income families. The $3.37 billion is a mix of federal, state and local funding, with about $1 billion coming from local resources.
The new plan is a bold commitment to more effectively addressing a housing system crippled with historic inequities exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Housing stability is a crucial need. When families can’t afford safe, quality, affordable housing, other important needs, including health care, food, transportation and child care, are negatively impacted.
SHIP details a plan for the city to spend the $3.37 billion over the next decade to produce and preserve 28,094 units — a 50 percent increase from the 2018 Housing Policy Framework’s goal of 18,681 units — most of which would be for residents who make at or below 50 percent of the area median income, around $22,000 to $37,000, depending on the size of the family.
Developed around equity principles of affordability, quality, accessibility and choice, the new plan’s goal of prioritizing the 95,000 households most at risk for housing instability — renters earning 30 percent or less of the area median income, the city’s poorest residents — is crucial.
City officials focused on incomes inside city limits to create a new definition of affordability: Affordable rentals that will be prioritized are those set aside for households that earn 60 percent — down from 80 percent — or less of the area median income, or $40,020 for a family of three. The maximum for affordable home ownership was kept at 120 percent of the area median income.
Another important shift is the city’s change from focusing on building new affordable homes to preserving existing affordable homes — a decision we support because it makes the most of current resources and funding.
Some City Council members and residents voiced concern that the new plan was too rushed, but we disagree. Families are vulnerable, and there is no time to spare. Our community and its leaders should be racing to help San Antonio’s low-income residents keep a roof over their heads.
The SHIP incorporates significant community input, as it was developed over 18 months by more than 80 stakeholders and city staff.
And residents were given opportunities to provide feedback. But while feedback is important, there was scant participation. The city’s public comment period on the SHIP was from Nov. 1 to Dec. 6. At five public meetings, all of which had Spanish interpretation and one of which was in Spanish only, only 59 people attended, either in person or online. There were 784 people who visited the SHIP website, 30 of whom watched videos, and 35 people or organizations gave written feedback.
However, the lack of feedback doesn’t invalidate the need identified by city officials, who say the housing supply isn’t keeping pace with growth and costs are outpacing incomes in San Antonio, putting an increasing number of residents at risk.
There is time for future input. Mayor Ron Nirenberg described the SHIP as a living document that will continue to change based on vital public feedback.
Bexar County, the San Antonio Housing Trust and the San Antonio Housing Authority’s board will consider adoption of the SHIP early in 2022. We strongly recommend swift approval.