The floor in Manuel De La Rosa\u2019s house in the Palm Heights neighborhood had started tilting.<\/p>\n
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He couldn\u2019t open the windows. But air got in anyway\u00a0\u2014 wind would rush through gaps around the frames.<\/p>\n
He relied on four old window units to keep the circa-1948 house cool. In the winter, he had to kick the heater to get it running.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Saving up for the many repairs and upgrades his Southwest Side home needed would take years.<\/p>\n
The 68-year-old production assistant said\u00a0he sought help from the city of San Antonio\u2019s home repair programs several times with no luck. Then he got a call about a year ago from a city employee who said his application had fallen through the cracks. The employee visited his house and suggested he apply for funds from the city\u2019s $150 million housing bond program.<\/p>\n
De La Rosa said he got a forgivable, no-interest loan of just under $130,000 from the city to rehabilitate his house. Workers started taking it down to the studs last year.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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Left: Manuel De La Rosa watches his granddaughter Ezri Pinales, 4, play with her toy camera at home on March 17, 2026. Right: Manuel De La Rosa walks outside his home on March 17.<\/p>\n
Andrew J. Whitaker\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
Top: Manuel De La Rosa watches his granddaughter Ezri Pinales, 4, play with her toy camera at home on March 17, 2026. Bottom: Manuel De La Rosa walks outside his home on March 17.<\/p>\n
Andrew J. Whitaker\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n
He temporarily moved into an apartment during construction, but he\u2019d stop by the house early in the morning to check on the contractors’ progress, peering through the windows with a flashlight. He watched as crews replaced the electrical wiring and plumbing, repaired the foundation and installed a central air conditioning system, along with new windows, doors and cabinets.<\/p>\n
When it came time to choose paint for the exterior, he selected a cheery shade of orange.<\/p>\n
\u201cI couldn\u2019t believe it,\u201d said De La Rosa, who moved back in in February. \u201cIt\u2019s incredible. This house was nothing like this.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Four years after voters approved a first-of-its-kind housing bond<\/a>, the money is nearly gone\u00a0\u2014 and City Council is discussing putting a second such bond on an upcoming ballot<\/a> to help pay for more projects as residents continue to grapple with a shortage of housing they can afford.<\/p>\n The city has since pledged 86% of the money to developers,\u00a0nonprofits and San Antonio\u2019s public housing authority to help preserve, rehabilitate or build homes across nine of the city\u2019s 10 council districts, according to city staff. The city will also spend some of the funding to buy land for future housing projects.<\/p>\n The work paid for with bond proceeds includes making repairs to around 400 single-family houses and 2,256 apartments, converting a mobile home park to a cooperative and helping build 1,952 apartments and 90 single-family houses, along with 242 units for homeless people, according to city figures.<\/p>\n \u201cI feel blessed that I knew about it,\u201d De La Rosa said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n His granddaughter, who lives with him, is eight months pregnant and often hot. Before the overhaul, she\u2019d huddle near a window unit, but now that the house has central air, she can move from room to room and stay cool.<\/p>\n Left: Ezri Pinales, 4, and her mom Serena Sanchez play with toy cameras in their home on March 17, 2026. Right: Manuel De La Rosa plays with his granddaughter, Ezri, at home on March 17.<\/p>\n Andrew J. Whitaker\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n Top: Ezri Pinales, 4, and her mom Serena Sanchez play with toy cameras in their home on March 17, 2026. Bottom: Manuel De La Rosa plays with his granddaughter, Ezri, at home on March 17.<\/p>\n Andrew J. Whitaker\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n Housing affordability is a problem in San Antonio, one of the country\u2019s poorest large cities. About 90,000 homeowners and renters in the area are considered cost-burdened, meaning they spend 30% or more of their income on housing and utilities. Veronica Garcia, director of the city\u2019s Neighborhood and Housing Services Department, said they\u2019re having to choose between covering rent or mortgage payments, and paying for food, transportation and other basic needs.<\/p>\n The bond financing has helped the city get closer to its goal of building and safeguarding 28,094 affordable housing units through 2031<\/a>. A mishmash of city subsidies, including bond funding, have helped renovate and construct about 11,000 homes so far, Garcia said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Some projects partially funded by\u00a0the bond have been completed, such as the Vista at Silver Oaks apartments on the North Side and renovations to units at Preserve at the Port near Port San Antonio. Other developments are still under construction or in the planning stages, such as the Commons at Acequia Trails on the Southeast Side, which is expected to open next year with housing and services for chronically homeless people.<\/p>\n The city is getting ready to dole out the final $12.2 million in bond funds.<\/p>\n \u201cWe know we need to create lots of different affordable housing options,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n Not enough housing<\/p>\n Voters approved a $20 million bond for \u201cneighborhood improvements\u201d in 2017. The city primarily used the funding to buy land and partner with developers to build housing. The final project using funds from that program, an 80-unit apartment complex just north of downtown with on-site services, opened in early 2026.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Then-Mayor Ron Nirenberg created a task force in 2017 to set goals, policies and funding options for affordable housing over the next 10 years. As the city rapidly moved closer to meeting its targets, officials started drawing up a new plan in 2020 to retain and build 50% more units and laying the groundwork for a much larger\u00a0\u2014 and more direct\u00a0\u2014 housing bond.<\/p>\n Then-Mayor Ron Nirenberg during the Housing Policy Task Force’s first gathering on Oct. 3, 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n Kin Man Hui\/San Antonio Express News file photo<\/p>\n The COVID disaster also struck. Not long after the pandemic hit in 2020, home prices and rents skyrocketed as interest rates and the supply of available properties plunged. As eviction moratoriums put in place early in the crisis expired, many tenants either struggled to pay rent or lost their apartments.<\/p>\n City staff\u00a0initially proposed a $250 million housing bond, but they scaled that back to $150 million because City Council members wanted more money for other kinds of bond projects.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A citizens\u2019 bond committee said the city should prioritize projects for residents having the hardest time finding housing they could afford, such as people with disabilities, senior citizens and homeless people.<\/p>\n \u201cProjects that receive bond funding must serve San Antonio\u2019s most vulnerable cost burdened low-income\u00a0populations,\u201d the committee stated in its recommendations.<\/p>\n The bond was one of several financing sources for affordable housing in the city\u2019s plan, which set a goal of building and preserving 13,592 homes for people earning up to 30% of the median income in the area\u00a0\u2014 some of San Antonio\u2019s poorest residents. Voters approved the initiative in 2022 as part of a record $1.2 billion bond package.<\/p>\n Since then, less than a quarter of the housing built or preserved with bond funds \u2014 among other funding sources \u2014 so far has been geared toward people making up to $20,300 annually for one person or $23,200 for a couple, according to city figures.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Leticia Sanchez, co-chair of the Historic Westside Residents Association, and Kayla Miranda, a housing advocate who served on the bond committee, said the city isn\u2019t prioritizing San Antonians hurt most by a dearth of housing they can afford.<\/p>\n Kayla Miranda, a housing advocate, speaks about the city’s housing at City Hall on July 14, 2021.<\/p>\n Billy Calzada\/San Antonio Express News file photo<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we first started having discussions, the entire point of this bond was to serve those who are the most vulnerable,\u201d Miranda said. \u201cI\u2019m very disturbed at how it has been used and how it has played out.\u201d<\/p>\n Building housing for those residents is expensive. The cost of buying land and constructing apartments is generally the same as it would be for a market-rate property, but the rents the owner receives are much lower.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cThose types of projects really require multiple levels of subsidies to ensure that they can be built, and that they can guarantee the rent will be held at different income levels for 40 years, which is our requirement,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n The city initially required developers seeking housing bond dollars to set aside at least 10% of the units in a new complex for people earning up to 30% of the median income. But officials have since boosted that mandate to 15%.<\/p>\n \u201cThe one area that continues to be a challenge is new, deeply affordable homes,\u201d Garcia said.<\/p>\n Miranda and Sanchez said they\u2019re also concerned about other aspects of the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Miranda said some of the money has gone to projects that were in the works before voters approved the bond, helping developers and organizations piece together financing to get deals across the finish line\u00a0\u2014 rather than setting off a wave of new development.<\/p>\n With the home rehab piece of the bond\u00a0\u2014 the funding De La Rosa benefited from\u00a0\u2014 Sanchez said residents have been confused about when they can apply for funds for repairs and how the money is being distributed.\u00a0<\/p>\n Some homeowners who have received help through the city\u2019s repair programs have also complained of shoddy workmanship. The city hired the Why Group, a local consulting firm, to review its rehabilitation initiative. The analysis found that some contractors hired by the city \u201clack knowledge in construction techniques and lead abatement\u201d and \u201cmissed steps or quality issues\u201d in making\u00a0home improvements, News 4 reported<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n In light of the review, the city established \u201ca formal quality assurance process to monitor compliance and ensure continuous improvement,\u201d and is scheduling appointments with residents to improve communication and partnering with\u00a0nonprofits to help with legal issues, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city plans to use $9 million from the bond to acquire property along VIA Metropolitan Transit\u2019s Green and Silver rapid bus transportation lines and partner with the San Antonio Housing Trust to build housing at those locations. That wasn\u2019t one of the uses recommended by the bond committee, Miranda said.<\/p>\n A city spokesperson said the housing\u00a0bond set aside money for property acquisitions, and the city\u2019s plan identifies buying land as a strategy to help it meet its housing goals.<\/p>\n Where\u2019s the money going?<\/p>\n Think of an affordable housing development as a puzzle, where the pieces are the variety of funding sources an owner uses to build the project. The bond is one piece.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A committee made up of city staff, residents and a VIA representative ranks developers’ and nonprofit organizations’ pitches for bond dollars based on income thresholds, location, proximity to public transportation, how close a project is to being ready to start construction and what social or health care services would be offered at a property, Garcia said.<\/p>\n The city has doled out the money through a half-dozen rounds of solicitations. And it\u2019s re-allocated funding for six projects that fell through because the organizations involved couldn\u2019t secure the rest of the financing they needed or failed to meet the city\u2019s deadlines.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are able to really dictate the kind of housing communities we want to see,\u201d Garcia said. \u201cEvery round it gets more competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n About $37.4 million is being spent on minor and major repairs at 400 houses. To qualify for 10- to 20-year forgivable loans of up to $130,000, homeowners must make up to 50% of the median income in the area and have clear title to the property. They also have to agree not to sell their house during the term of the loan. If they violate that condition, they have to pay off the loan.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Another $19 million is helping pay for 242 units of what\u2019s known as \u201cpermanent supportive housing\u201d\u00a0\u2014 affordable units with on-site social services for chronically homeless people\u00a0\u2014 at\u00a0Towne Twin Village on the East Side and Commons at Acequia Trails.<\/p>\n Construction work on The Commons at Acequia Trails on March 26, 2026.<\/p>\n Andrew J. Whitaker\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n San Antonio Metropolitan Ministry Inc., a nonprofit that provides housing and services for homeless people, started working on plans for Commons at\u00a0Acequia Trails after voters approved the bond, which had funds set aside for permanent supportive housing, said President and CEO\u00a0Nikisha Baker.\u00a0<\/p>\n The complex is expected to be finished in early 2027.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n At $56 million, the 201-unit project on the South Side requires layers of subsidies. More than $16 million is coming from various city programs, including $9.1 million from the bond.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know that we would even be talking about the Commons as a real thing had the city\u2019s investment not been a part of that conversation,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n Another chunk of the bond, about $25 million, is going to developers to build 12 apartment complexes with 1,952 units for people earning less than the area\u2019s median income. Some 1,150 are for people making up to 60% of that level, which comes out to about $40,620 annually for one person or $52,200 for a family of three.<\/p>\n Rose Lathan, 65, moved into an apartment at one of those complexes, Vista at Silver Oaks, early last year.\u00a0Opportunity Home San Antonio, Atlantic Pacific\u00a0Cos. and OCI Development built the 76-unit, $29.3 million property with $3.3 million from the bond.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Lathan, who was injured in a car accident and now receives disability assistance, said she relocated to San Antonio from a rural community north of Austin in search of better medical care.\u00a0She said she found Vista at Silver Oaks while searching for apartments online and was thrilled when her application for a Vista unit was accepted.<\/p>\n She declined to say what she pays for her two-bedroom, two-bathroom unit. She said she appreciates the newness, cleanliness and safety of the complex, a big improvement over\u00a0other places she\u2019s lived.\u00a0Lathan frequently takes long walks around the property and visits a city senior center about two miles away.<\/p>\n \u201cI love it here,\u201d Lathan said.<\/p>\n Left: Rose Lathan walks around the complex at Vista at Silver Oaks on March 25, 2026. Right: Lathan exercises in the fitness center of her apartment complex on March 25. The apartment complex, where Latham lives, is funded by San Antonio\u2019s 2022 affordable housing bond.<\/p>\n Katina Zentz\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n Top: Rose Lathan walks around the complex at Vista at Silver Oaks on March 25, 2026. Bottom: Lathan exercises in the fitness center of her apartment complex on March 25. The apartment complex, where Latham lives, is funded by San Antonio\u2019s 2022 affordable housing bond.<\/p>\n Katina Zentz\/San Antonio Express-News<\/p>\n Another $30 million is committed to making improvements at 2,256 apartments. Under another category, Habitat for Humanity of San Antonio, Mission Trail Community Association and Opportunity Home are getting $6.2 million to build houses and convert a mobile home community to a resident-owned cooperative.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n The city will soon choose the housing projects that will receive the last $12.2 million in funding.<\/p>\n Who\u2019s getting the most funding?<\/p>\n Opportunity Home, the city\u2019s public housing authority, is the largest recipient of bond funds, with $16.7 million going to upgrade six apartment complexes and build five single-family houses. The agency has also partnered with developers on other projects benefiting from the bond.<\/p>\n It applied for another $38.6 million but was not awarded those funds, a spokesperson said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n Diana\u00a0Kollodziej Fiedler, Opportunity Home\u2019s chief financial officer, described the housing bond as a \u201cgodsend.\u201d<\/p>\n The agency gets about $17 million annually from the federal government for improvements at its properties, but it has more than $500 million worth of deferred maintenance and repairs,\u00a0Fiedler said.\u00a0<\/p>\n It typically acquires apartments financed through a tax credit program for affordable housing, near the end of the program\u2019s 15-year term. Those deals generally come with debt on the property, which\u00a0\u2014 combined with the lower rents at the complexes\u00a0\u2014 makes it harder to persuade a bank to lend money for rehabilitating the complexes,\u00a0Fiedler said.<\/p>\n Opportunity Home is using the bond funds to replace windows and siding at its Woodhill Apartments, install a new elevator at Pecan Hill Apartments, replace the roof at Victoria Plaza Apartments and upgrade air conditioning units at the Cottage Creek complex, among other repairs across six properties. Opportunity Home put $11 million from its coffers into\u00a0the improvements,\u00a0Fiedler said.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n \u201cFor voters to step up and say, \u2018Yes, we want this to happen\u2019\u00a0\u2014 it was great,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Opportunity Home was set to receive an additional $8.2 million to renovate and rebuild\u00a0Alaz\u00e1n Courts, the city\u2019s oldest and largest public housing complex. But the agency\u2019s leaders scrapped the $112 million project<\/a> after they couldn\u2019t come up with enough money to pay for it. They forfeited the bond funds.<\/p>\n Janelyz Feliciano, 10, plays soccer at Alazan Apache Courts on Oct. 31, 2024.<\/p>\n Jessica Phelps\/San Antonio Express News file photo<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a huge undertaking,\u201d Fiedler said. \u201cI think the only way to consider it is to consider the whole project, as opposed to\u00a0band-aiding. And I think that\u2019s all the this type of program would be able to provide for a property that large.\u201d<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n A second housing bond<\/p>\n The city\u2019s 10-year plan for paying for more affordable housing includes a second $150 million housing bond, along with tax credits and conventional loans.<\/p>\n City officials haven\u2019t set the size of the next bond package, but\u00a0it will be much smaller than previous programs<\/a> because of declining property tax collections.\u00a0Property value increases have slowed because of a sluggish housing market and property tax cuts approved by the Texas Legislature.\u00a0<\/p>\n A portion of the city\u2019s property tax revenue is used to repay general-obligation bond debt, and static property values mean less tax revenue for the city.<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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