Housing Authority Pulls Residential Building's Section 8 Rent Subsidies When Landlord Fails Compliance Inspections After Being Ordered To Make Repairs; Dozen Low-Income Families Left Scrambling For New Apartments; One Tenant's Complaint Triggered Maintenance Inspection That Led To Eviction

In San Antonio, Texas, KABB-TV Channel 29 reports:

• An apartment complex loses government funds, leaving a dozen families and residents to find somewhere else to live.
  
  The residents at the Plaza Apartments on Euclid Avenue just north of downtown are turning to the city's housing authority for help.
  
  The San Antonio Housing Authority cut off assistance here after the property owners failed to make repairs during compliance inspections.
  
  At the end of July, SAHA gave people living here Section Eight housing vouchers to relocate.
  
  Those last for two months, but the property managers only gave them to the end of August to move out.
  
  ***
  SAHA inspectors first looked into the property on June 23 due to a complaint filed by a client. The inspection found multiple quality deficiencies and gave the landlord three weeks to fix them.
  
  But the Plaza Apartments failed a second inspection.
  
  SAHA says it issued Section 8 vouchers to most families the next week.
  
  “SAHA gives you a 60-day voucher to move and we only have 30 days to get out of these apartments," said [tenant Victoria] Lucio.
  
  Lucio, a single mom with a four-year old son, says they got notices from the property managers saying they had to be moved out by the end of August.
  
  “We're just asking for some kind of help,” said Alicia Saenz, who has lived at Plaza Apartments for four years. “Something to help us just to get us and our kids in another safe home."
  
  While Saenz is grateful for the vouchers, she along with other residents are asking SAHA to help cover moving expenses.
  
  “A family that's already living paycheck to paycheck as it is to come up with that much money in 30 days is impossible," said Saenz.
  
  In a statement SAHA says, “…we can't allow our clients to remain in units that are not decent, safe, and sanitary. We are diligently working with the individuals and reaching out to multiple service organizations to provide transitional support."
  
  Back in 2010, a spokesperson says SAHA helped with moving expenses for one of their properties but they have not made the same decision for the Plaza Apartments.
  
  However, SAHA has opted to allow the owner of these apartments to correct the violations. Which means the units could be leased to clients in the future.

Source: Tenants face eviction after losing government funds.