Planning and Community Development Committee Meeting - March 30, 2026
Planning and Community Development Committee Meeting - March 30, 2026
The Planning and Community Development Committee (PCDC) met on March 30, 2026, from 2:01 PM to 4:54 PM. The meeting included public comments, interviews for the Building Standards Board, a briefing on the Opportunity Home San Antonio Strategic Plan Framework, and a briefing on the Special Housing Supply Task Force report. The committee discussed the future of public housing, proposed lease changes, and recommendations to increase housing supply for vulnerable populations.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Tyler Ferguson (Executive Director, Blueprint Ministries) expressed support for the Special Housing Supply Task Force report and urged the committee to prioritize preserving and restoring existing housing stock, especially for low-income homeowners. He noted that over 60 homeowners his organization works with are severely cost-burdened and that investment in minor home repair programs is critical.
- Isabel Galvan (read by Luis Hannah Santibanias, tenant advocate and voucher holder) opposed the Opportunity Home Moving to Work and RAD proposals, stating that canvassing 1,100 units showed residents were unaware of the programs. She argued that the changes would destabilize households, limit communication, and lead to privatization. She urged the committee to keep public housing public.
- Leticia Sanchez (Historic West Side Residents Association) spoke against Opportunity Home’s proposed policy changes, stating they would remove protections for the lowest-income residents and shift the mission away from serving those at 30% AMI or below. She shared her personal experience living in public housing and raising children who became successful.
- Jasmine Ededa (Coalition for Dignified Housing/Esperanza Peace and Justice Center) opposed the proposed restriction on door knocking, arguing it would harm community connections and the ability to share resources like the San Antonio Cove Neighborhood Project and community gardens.
- Alejandro Lopez (President, San Antonio Alliance of Teachers and Support Personnel) drew parallels between privatization in public education and the proposed changes to public housing. He stated that declining enrollment in SAISD is partly due to lack of affordable housing and urged opposition to further privatization.
- Melody Miranda (16-year-old resident of Alazan-Apache Courts) spoke against the proposed changes, including limiting negative rents, ending repayment agreements, and restricting solicitation. She expressed concern that RAD would privatize public land and lead to displacement, and asked the committee to protect public housing.
- Aaron Hahn (Texas Housers) expressed concerns about the Opportunity Home strategic plan, particularly RAD conversion and lease changes. He noted that repositioning public housing could lead to increased privatization and risk of instability, and recommended safeguards such as one-for-one replacement, binding right to return, and transparent reporting. He also opposed the proposed solicitation and recording policies.
Discussion Items
- Building Standards Board Interviews: Four applicants were interviewed for three at-large seats: Robert Benke (realtor, general contractor, seeking reappointment), David Valtierra (licensed architect, community volunteer), Ann Hoffman Winer (retired nurse anesthetist, current board member seeking reappointment), and Faso Hussein (not present, written statement provided). Each applicant answered questions about their interpretation of demolition as a remedy of last resort and provided examples of when they would vote for demolition.
- Opportunity Home San Antonio Strategic Plan Framework: Ayana Longoria (Chief Strategy, Data and Innovation Officer) presented the plan, which includes three goals: housing (preservation and expansion of 14,500 units), opportunities (resident services and partnerships), and innovation (staff development and technology). The presentation highlighted the deferred maintenance backlog of over $550 million, a $1.4 million monthly operating loss in public housing, and the need to reposition 6,000 public housing units through RAD (Rental Assistance Demonstration) to access more stable funding. The committee discussed lease changes, including a proposed solicitation policy that would require tenants to get permission from management before door-to-door activities. Opportunity Home officials clarified that the intent is to prevent predatory commercial solicitation and that community organizing and nonprofit outreach would still be allowed with property management notification. Council members expressed concerns about the broad language and its potential to chill organizing and civic engagement. The committee also discussed RAD conversion details, including that Opportunity Home intends to retain ownership, use project-based rental assistance (not vouchers), and commit to one-for-one replacement of units. Councilwoman Castillo noted that HUD rules allow up to a 5% unit reduction, but Opportunity Home stated they do not intend to reduce units. Councilman Galvan requested a breakdown of capital needs by property. Councilwoman Corr urged clearer commitments and more transparent communication. Councilwoman Mungia highlighted the importance of relocation plans and asked for a list of public housing properties by district. Opportunity Home agreed to provide a follow-up memo addressing these concerns.
- Special Housing Supply Task Force Report: Veronica Garcia (Director, NHSD) presented the final report, which was developed by a task force launched by Mayor Jones in August 2025. The report recommends a new goal of 3,250 homes for four populations: veterans with housing vouchers (250 homes), people with disabilities (500 homes), older adults (2,400 homes), and LGBTQ+ unhoused youth (100 homes). The recommendations include updating the universal design ordinance, encouraging home sharing, and partnering with school districts and managed care organizations. The committee praised the report and noted that the results will be incorporated into the upcoming SHIP (Strategic Housing Implementation Plan) refresh in August 2026.
Key Outcomes
- Building Standards Board Appointments: The committee voted to recommend Robert Benke, Faso Hussein, and David Valtierra for appointment to the Building Standards Board through May 31, 2027. The recommendation will go to the full City Council.
- Opportunity Home Follow-Up: The committee will work with Opportunity Home to provide a follow-up memo addressing concerns raised during the discussion, including details on lease changes, relocation plans, and a breakdown of capital needs by property.
- Special Housing Supply Task Force: The report will be incorporated into the SHIP refresh, with final recommendations to be presented to City Council in August 2026.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon, everybody. We will begin. The time is now 201 p.m. on March 30th, 2026, in the meeting of the Planning and Community Development Committee's now called order. Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll? Councilmember Corr. Councilmember Castillo. Here. Councilmember Galvan. Here. Councilmember Mesa Gonzalez. Councilmember Mungia. Present. I'm sorry. Chair Mungia. That's okay. Chair, we have a quorum. Thank you very much. And I'll just note uh she'll be a little late, but we have a new member to our committee, Councilwoman Iva Lise Mesa Gonzalez. So we welcome her to our committee and look forward to working with her today. Um so the first item on the agenda is approval of the minutes. Are there any corrections to the minutes? And if not, can I get a motion to approve? There's a motion and a second. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed. Motion carries. We are now gonna move on to public comment. And we have some folks here signed up. Um signed up for item number three is Tyler Ferguson. You will have three minutes. Oh, good afternoon. Uh my name is Tyler Ferguson. I'm the executive director of Blueprint Ministries. We're a nonprofit that has been serving uh low-income homeowners in San Antonio for over 20 uh 20 years, um, and we're also a partner in NHSD's minor home rehab program. Um wanted to come today to both express my support uh for the work reflected uh in the uh special housing supply task force report and um more broadly because any time housing is discussed, I feel an immense responsibility to give voice to the over 60 low-income homeowners that we work with every day. As you know, the housing crisis in San Antonio cannot be attributed to one specific problem, but is rather multifaceted, requiring a multifaceted solution. Blueprint ministries is grateful for the effort that NHSD has put into the Special Housing Supply Task Force report as we've seen firsthand that while the housing crisis affects everyone, already marginalized groups are absolutely hit the hardest. I want to take this opportunity to remind you of the importance that preserving and restoring our existing housing stock plays in the overall goals outlined, not just in this report, but in the broader ship. We work with over 60 homeowners every year whose physical and mental health is critically impacted by their housing situation. Yet none of them benefit from the things that tend to be what most people focus on when it comes to housing. Things like additional affordable housing construction, support for renters, and programs aimed at housing the unhoused are all extremely important, but not at the expense of the thousands of severely cost-burdened homeowners located within a two-mile radius of where we are right now. Most of us think of homeownership as the goal, and yet for many extremely low-income homeowners in our city, staying in the home that they've owned for decades is often the only thing standing between them and experiencing homelessness. Your investment into the minor home repair program and organizations like Blueprint has made an impact. However, restoring our substandard housing supply is not a quick task. It's going to take decades and decades of consistent investment as we go house to house making the repairs that everyone needs to live safely and with dignity. Your commitment to solving our substandard housing crisis is unmatched when compared to every nearly every other city of our size, as I'm reminded often by my colleagues across the country who are very envious of our city's commitment to substandard housing. And yet, I humbly ask today that as these important discussions take place around housing that you not forget these homeowners who are living in unsafe, unhealthy, and undignified conditions, who oftentimes fly under the radar. Thank you.
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