Money has access.
People have power.
Residents should be able to see who funds local campaigns, compare public commitments with voting records, and organize around veterans, housing, education, and community priorities.
The same standard applies to every public official.
My City Is My Home does not endorse or oppose candidates. We advocate for policies and publish documented, issue-based records showing who supported a policy, who opposed it, what changed, and what evidence was offered.
How we will evaluate public officials and candidates
Support and opposition will be highlighted equally using the same factual criteria, regardless of district, political relationships, or whether an official agrees with us on other issues.
Public testimony matters. Organized voters create lasting accountability.
Veterans and advocates spent years researching the VASH housing issue, meeting with officials, building support, and speaking at City Hall. Exemptions were still added late in the process, and several offices that had previously communicated support voted to preserve them.
The lesson from the veteran housing vote
Showing up for one meeting is not enough. Residents need to document commitments, follow the money, monitor votes, organize by district, and remain engaged through elections and policy reviews.
The community response
We are building a durable, nonpartisan network of veterans, renters, homeowners, parents, students, and neighborhood residents who can act together on the issues affecting daily life.
All 12 reviewed campaigns—including the mayor
The approved expanded review identified contributions associated with apartment, REALTOR®, real-estate, development, property-management, construction, finance, and related interests. The mayor is shown first, followed by every council district and the additional reviewed campaign.
Transparency, not accusation
Campaign contributions are legal. Contributions alone do not prove bribery, corruption, or that a vote was purchased. The public-interest question is how organized money may shape access, relationships, campaign capacity, and the policy environment in which decisions are made.
Gina Ortiz Jones
Sukh Kaur
Jalen McKee-Rodriguez
Phyllis Viagran
Edward Mungia
Teri Castillo
Ric Galvan
Marina Alderete Gavito
Ivalis Meza Gonzalez
Misty Spears
Marc Whyte
Melissa Cabello Havrda
Where these numbers came from
The totals were calculated from publicly available campaign-finance records filed with the City of San Antonio and the Texas Ethics Commission.
City of San Antonio filings
Campaign-finance reports filed by mayoral and City Council campaigns were reviewed to identify direct contributions associated with apartment, REALTOR®, real-estate, development, property-management, construction, finance, and related interests.
Texas Ethics Commission records
State campaign-finance records were reviewed to identify political committees, affiliated donors, and additional contribution relationships relevant to the expanded review.
Cross-checking and duplicate control
Names and contribution records were cross-checked across the public filings. Known duplicates were excluded before the final campaign totals were calculated.
verified direct industry-linked contributions + additional verified related contributions not already counted = each campaign’s expanded-review total.
What the ordinance does now—and what must change next
San Antonio passed Ordinance 2026-05-07-0295 on May 7, 2026. The City’s owner-and-manager FAQ identifies May 8, 2026 as the effective date. The ordinance creates source-of-income protections for qualified veterans using Housing Choice or VASH vouchers, but exemptions and enforcement limitations remain.
Current protection
A covered housing provider may not refuse to rent to an otherwise qualified veteran when the sole reason is that the veteran uses a federal housing-assistance voucher.
- Veterans must still satisfy lawful, reasonable, and consistently applied screening requirements.
- The City FAQ states that owners or operators with five or more rental units are covered.
- Properties receiving City incentives since May 2021 may have broader voucher-acceptance requirements at that property, regardless of veteran status.
- Complaints may be reported through 311, the City Fair Housing Program, or the City’s online discrimination-complaint page.
Current enforcement
The ordinance uses escalating civil enforcement after the City investigates and finds a violation.
- First violation: written warning.
- Second violation: mandatory compliance training within 30 days.
- Third violation: $500 administrative fee.
- Further violations: additional $500 fees and referral to the City Attorney’s Office for any further enforcement available by law.
Remove every exemption
Apply the protection consistently across rental houses, duplexes, small properties, and larger communities.
Clarify the unit threshold
Resolve the conflict between “five or more” in City guidance and “more than five” in the signed ordinance.
Publish enforcement data
Report complaints, investigations, outcomes, repeat violations, response times, and outreach results.
Create ownership transparency
A rental registry can help identify property ownership, portfolio size, responsible parties, and patterns across the rental market.
Learn about rental registries →Strengthen veteran outreach
Veterans, case managers, leasing staff, property owners, and community organizations need clear information about rights and responsibilities.
Evaluate whether enforcement works
Determine whether complaint-based enforcement and the current penalty structure actually change access and housing choice.
The documented accountability questions
All council offices had previously communicated support when the proposal contained no exemptions. The public deserves clear answers about the final change.
- What changed between earlier support and the final vote?
- Who requested the exemption language?
- What evidence showed the exemptions were necessary?
- Why were veteran advocates not brought back to the table?
- Did industry access or influence play any role in preserving the exemptions?
Supported removing every exemption
Voted to keep the exemptions
Build from 10 voters to a citywide civic force.
The goal is not a list of passive names. It is an opt-in network of informed residents who can receive policy updates, contact officials, attend meetings, help with nonpartisan voter participation, and hold public officials accountable.
Committed residents in every district
Establish one reliable district team, regular communication, and basic participation in hearings and council outreach.
Organized residents in every district
Support voter-registration education, candidate questionnaires, community briefings, and rapid response before major votes.
Informed voters in every district
Create a durable constituency that can elevate veterans, housing, education, and neighborhood priorities across San Antonio.
A broader coalition can change what City Hall must prioritize.
Veterans provide a clear test of whether public promises become policy. Renters bring scale to housing advocacy. Homeowners, parents, students, and neighborhood residents connect housing to schools, transportation, healthcare, safety, and economic opportunity.
Shared community issues
Veteran services, rental access, property stability, education, neighborhood investment, transportation, public safety, and fair access to local government.
Shared civic strategy
Research the record, explain the issues, register and educate voters, compare candidate responses, participate in elections, and continue accountability after Election Day.
Register. Learn. Organize. Vote.
The community does not need to match large political committees dollar for dollar. It needs informed residents who participate consistently and vote based on the issues affecting their families and neighborhoods.
250 years of independence. Freedom should include meaningful housing choice.
Do not simply thank veterans for defending freedom. Defend their freedom to choose where they live.
Use the records, guidance, and policy tools already available.
City Fair Housing Complaint Page
Official City information for housing-discrimination complaints and Fair Housing contact information.
Open the City complaint page →Public-Record Video Series
Hear directly from the Mayor, councilmembers, staff, and veteran advocates.
Watch the video series →Contact the Mayor and City Council
Use the official City directory to find current district offices and contact information.
Open the City directory →Rental Registry Policy Tool
PolicyLink explains how rental registries can improve ownership transparency, outreach, data collection, and enforcement.
Review the policy tool →Housing-Provider Overview
An external property-management overview of the ordinance, exemptions, screening rules, and six-month review. Included for public understanding; MCIMH does not adopt every conclusion.
Read the external overview →Veteran Housing Petition
Support removing every exemption from San Antonio’s veteran housing voucher protections.
Sign the petition →Join the District Network
Join residents organizing around veterans, housing, education, and community priorities.
Join the campaign →Official Ordinance and City Guidance
Read San Antonio Ordinance 2026-05-07-0295, the City’s property-owner and manager FAQ, enforcement procedures, and the official City Council vote record.
Read the Ordinance and City Guidance →Campaign-Finance Transparency Review
Review the $470,492.77 identified across 12 campaigns, the campaign-by-campaign totals, donor categories, methodology, public data sources, and accountability standards.
Read the Public Campaign-Finance Report →