San Antonio Apartment Industry Launches Emergency Rental Assistance Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Mayor Nirenberg Pledges Support, City Assistance

SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In response to needs of renters during the COVID-19 pandemic, the San Antonio Apartment Association (SAAA) has proposed an Emergency Rental Assistance Program. SAAA is urging its members and other housing providers to get involved and directly help their residents who are struggling to pay rent as a result of COVID-19 impacts and related community social distancing declarations.

“I applaud the Association’s efforts to work with residents and avoid “evictions,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “We appreciate their help in urging housing providers to support their tenants seeking rental assistance from the City by covering a portion of the rental payment and waiving late fees. In times like these, we need the entire community to provide relief in helping us keep people in their homes.”

SAAA is encouraging its members to forgive 25% of their resident’s outstanding rent and waive any late fees during the crisis. The effort will also help leverage additional funding for the City’s Risk Mitigation Fund. Currently, the Risk Mitigation Fund covers 100% of rent and late fees. The encouragement by SAAA to discount outstanding rent and waive late fees will help the fund assist more residents. To qualify for funding through the Risk Mitigation Fund, residents must be at or below 100% of the Area Median Income, show proof of unemployment and the inability to pay their rent. Those able to document a direct impact driven by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as job loss or decreased hours or wages, could qualify. The City will work with the landlords of qualifying applicants on payment.

“We believe, with rental housing providers’ help, each million dollars of funding by the City, County and philanthropic organizations is expected to generate $250,000 in rent forgiveness, which, based on an average monthly rent of $1,000, would assist roughly 250 families in need,” said Teri Bilby, Executive Director of San Antonio Apartment Association. “We urge everyone to participate in this program because it’s the right thing to do.”

“This community is in great need of assistance. For everyone’s well-being, it is of the utmost importance that our elected officials and philanthropic organizations come together with property owners to help them keep residents safe and secure in their homes,” Bilby continued.

At the onset of this pandemic, the San Antonio Apartment Association, the Texas Apartment Association, and the National Apartment Association immediately began working with elected officials to put our residents and employees at ease, by directing them to existing assistance and working to provide support directly. In addition to working with local leaders, SAAA is encouraging its members and all housing providers to engage in early and regular communication with their residents on the measures being taken to ensure they can remain safe and secure in their community.

“Many residents are expected to lose their income,” Bilby said. “We applaud the leaders in federal, state and local governments who are stepping up to provide rental assistance to residents and appreciate the relief and security it provides rental property owners and small business owners who are also at risk from the many negative consequences of this pandemic.”

For more information, visit www.saaaonline.org/resources

The San Antonio Apartment Association (SAAA) is a non-profit trade association composed of diverse groups representing and serving the multi-family and rental housing industry whose purpose is to participate in the legislative process, promote professionalism through education, provide a means of communication to our members and support the surrounding communities.

The Association comprises more than 1500 Property Owners, Management Companies and Multi-family Communities representing over 211,000 rental units. Our membership includes over 360 supplier companies providing products and services to our industry.