San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has vowed to revisit a city ordinance that bans landlords with five or more properties from turning away veterans who pay rent with a federal housing voucher. The ordinance, which was passed in May, has been criticized for not doing enough to help expand access to housing for veterans.

Veteran Housing Vouchers

According to a report by the My City is My Home chapter of the American GI Forum, nearly 70% of in-city apartments in San Antonio do not accept Section 8 housing vouchers, which are used by low-income families, veterans, seniors, and people with disabilities. The report also found that 92% of single-family and duplex rentals in the city do not accept these vouchers.

Mayor Jones, a veteran of the Air Force and a former Pentagon official, has argued that the ordinance does not go far enough in addressing the housing needs of veterans. She has stated that she will revisit the ordinance when it reaches its six-month mark in November, with the aim of removing all exemptions.

Enforcement Challenges

The current ordinance allows landlords with fewer than five properties to opt out of accepting veterans with federal housing vouchers. However, the exemption process is reliant on understanding how many units a landlord owns, which can be difficult to determine. The city housing team must investigate each individual landlord when a violation is reported, which can be a time-consuming and challenging process.

The importance of housing for veterans cannot be overstated. A VA study found that veterans experiencing housing instability are three times as likely to have suicidal thoughts and twice as likely to attempt suicide compared to stably housed veterans.

Mayor Jones has also spoken with VA Secretary Doug Collins about the possibility of adding transitional housing options on VA properties in San Antonio, which would allow veterans to live in close proximity to the care they need.

Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.