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Public commenters urge San Antonio to use HUD grant funds for housing, not encampment removals
Summary
At a June 10 City Council hearing on the FY2027–2031 consolidated plan, public commenters asked the city to prioritize housing and restored vouchers over clearing encampments, citing safety, drainage and unmet needs for people with medical conditions. The hearing included a reading of the plan’s HUD grant programs but no council vote.
At a June 10 public hearing on the proposed FY2027–2031 consolidated plan, residents told the San Antonio City Council they want federal HUD entitlement grant funds directed toward housing people rather than toward clearing encampments.
Vanessa Acosta, who said she is from District 2, told the council she had distributed written material and asked officials to read it silently because it "speaks about ACS" and is for safety purposes. A separate public commenter said the city should not spend grant money mainly to "tear down encampments," and instead use it to "house houseless people," adding that current materials lack clear numbers showing how funds would be allocated.
Diana Uriegas urged council members to use budget dollars to help people with housing and safety needs after local house explosions, to address drainage problems, and to “place that money back in the vouchers that was removed from housing vouchers,” arguing the changes have left people without stable housing.
The council opened the hearing with the clerk reading the caption for the consolidated plan and the FY2027 annual action plan, identifying the four HUD entitlement programs covered by the plan: the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME), the Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) and the Housing Opportunity for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA). Commenters framed their remarks around how the city plans to allocate those grant funds over the five-year plan.
No vote or formal council action occurred during the hearing; the presiding officer closed the public hearing at 5:15 p.m. and moved the meeting on to the public comment portion of the agenda.
Why it matters: The consolidated plan guides how the city uses federal housing and community-development dollars across multiple programs over several years. Public commenters at the hearing pressed for clearer allocation of funds and for prioritizing direct housing solutions and vouchers rather than enforcement or encampment removal alone.
What’s next: The hearing record will form part of the public record for the FY2027–2031 consolidated plan. The council did not take a formal vote on the plan during this session; any subsequent votes, amendments or staff reports will be announced on the council agenda and during future meetings.
