San Antonio receives $46.7M from Covid-19 stimulus for rental assistance

The City of San Antonio has received $46.7 million for emergency rental assistance as a result of the CARES Act that Congress passed in late December.

In a memo to the City Council yesterday, Erik Walsh said no less than 90% of the federal stimulus dollars must be used to help San Antonians pay rent or utilities. The rest of the funding can be used for “housing stability services, including case management and other services intended to keep household stably housed, and administrative costs,” Walsh wrote.

During today’s City Council meeting, Walsh said details of how the funding will be incorporated into the city’s emergency housing assistance program will go before the Culture and Neighborhood Services Committee in the first week of February, before returning to the full City Council for final approval.

Currently, the city has earmarked $76.7 million toward rental assistance. This morning, the City Council is discussing whether to add $13.1 million from federal and state dollars toward the total.

To date, $54.7 million has been distributed toward residents for rental and mortgage assistance. Another $6 million has gone toward helping San Antonians pay utilities, and $7.4 million in direct cash assistance has also been awarded.

This is a developing story that will be updated after the vote.

Read Walsh’s memo.

Heron Editor Ben Olivo can be reached at 210-421-3932 | ben@saheron.com | @rbolivo on Twitter