Come this Saturday at the Forest Hills Library, 5245 Ingram Rd., the City of San Antonio, in partnership with the Fair Housing Council of South Texas, is rolling out a renters' rights workshop. The event is part of an initiative linked to the city’s housing plan and comes in the wake of City Council’s approval of a renters' "bill of rights" back in May 2023,
Doors open at 10 a.m. and entry is free of charge. This event is the summer’s final curtain call providing essential information on everything from evictions to repairs, and discrimination to retaliation. According to a San Antonio Report, approximately 607,500 renters reside in the city, almost half of which are heavily burdened by housing costs – forking over more than the advised 30% of their income.
Saturday's session boasts insights from fair housing counselors, code enforcement officers, as well as Fair Housing Council staff ready to field questions – on the spot or in scheduled follow-ups. The session also promises interpreters for Spanish speakers and the American Sign Language community to ensure the information reaches all ears, no registration needed.
The city isn't halting its outreach with this finale. One more event is in the pipeline for September and the city has already dropped three chapters in a seven-part video crusade tackling eviction, rental assistance, complaint-filing, and lease literacy. The groundwork laid, by the city’s long-term affordable housing plan, adopted in 2021, sought to launch a concerted blitz on housing law and eviction skirmishes.
While landlords in San Antonio are not obliged to hand out copies of the bill of rights to new tenants, they're required to distribute a Notice of Tenants’ Rights alongside an eviction notice for rent non-payment. Many tenants might misconstrue an eviction notice as their cue to leave, when in reality, it’s the starting bell for a legal process one that the city seems determined to demystify. The notice includes details on support programs and a procedural rundown, aiming to empower residents in the face of housing instability.
