On September 17, the San Antonio City Council adopted the city’s $4.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2027, which began October 1. With it, San Antonio is taking another step towards building more affordable housing, increasing its funding for their program by 14.6 percent, up to $37.7M in 2027.
The home of the Alamo understands the importance of trying to preserve its history, so they have taken a different tack than most other cities, preservation and new development together. Of the $37.7 million dollars the city plans to spend, the budget provides $12.7 million for gap financing to produce or preserve 419 units. Another $15.7 million allocated for 497 home repairs, with the remaining $5.7 million going to help 1,820 households with relocation or rental support. Included in this funding is $500,000 dollars for a “missing middle” pilot program. The city is paying for this with $15.7 million from its general fund, $11.0 million in federal CDBG and HOME funds, and $11.0 million from other sources, according to the budget.
While preserving pre-existing units is certainly more cost efficient than building new units, the rapidly increased demand for housing cannot be filled by preexisting units alone. 66 people move to San Antonio everyday, and that number is doubled when considering the broader San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area.
Luckily, the city remains open to new developments, and this increase in funding signals a willingness to act aggressively in fighting the housing crisis. These are the kinds of changes we need to see every year if we hope to get ahead of the housing crisis.