Bexar and San Antonio had a solution to prevent displacement and increase housing options for voucher holders and failed to act.

We have 2 proposed policies we are asking them to act on:

1. Tenant-Based Vouchers to Project Based

Conduct an open public bid, for landlords that would like to convert their 3-5 bedroom rentals in higher opportunity areas (higher-performing schools and higher paying jobs) to Project-Based Vouchers (PBV) properties for 5-20 years. This would allow landlords and the housing authority to negotiate a rent amount prior to the tenant moving in, for having a property set aside for section 8 tenants for multiple years.

2. Pre-Rent Reasonableness

Landlords that are interested in accepting Section 8 Tenant Based Voucher’s (TBV), may request a pre-rent reasonableness valuation before accepting an application. This would let landlord know know exactly what rent the housing authority would pay for, though the TBV does have a “Shopping Estimate” in what it would pay for a rental in various zip codes, landlords do not know what the rent will be until after the rent-reasonableness review that occurs after the tenant applies for the rental and could take over a week to know what the TBV will actually pay which can be less than advertised rent. This is UNFAIR to both Landlords and tenants!