[Excerpts below]
It was celebrated as millions in new funding for housing renovation.
Last August, at a time when federal funds for home repairs and renovations for low-income homeowners appeared to be dwindling, the city had “found” $4.7 million to bolster those efforts, tapping unspent federal housing grants. This would be in addition to $1.8 million in new funding. Together, the $6.5 million would repair 81 homes.
But it turns out much of that $4.7 million was already allocated to home repair projects. It might not have been spent, but it also wasn’t available.
“The money was not there,” said Maria Tijerina of COPS/Metro Alliance. “It wasn’t new money. It was old money.”
....
To the degree possible, the city should apply new funds to home repairs for the upcoming budget — funds that can be spent and honor what COPS/Metro and others thought was happening in August.
[Photo Credit: Carolyn Van Houten / San Antonio Express News]
City Should Fulfill Promise of 'New Money' for Housing Repairs, San Antonio Express-News [pdf]