San Antonio Takes DC

2024 marked the 45th year that San Antonio business and community leaders traveled to Washington D.C. to advocate on the issues that impact our community. Thanks to SA to DC, our Congressional representatives, military leaders, and regulators learned firsthand about some of the most import issues impacting San Antonio’s 1.4 million residents.

Over the four days of SA to DC, 12 teams presented 68 federal priorities that they developed ahead of time to improve the outlook for our community. The Issue Teams covered a range of topics, including Broadband, Education & Workforce Development, Small Business, Transportation, and many more. I participated as a member of the Housing Team, which worked to advocate for:

• Expansion of housing tax credit programs,
• Increased funding for housing and community development programs,
• Support for renter support services, and
• Expansion of federal tax credit investment in climate resilient and energy efficient home programs.

As first-time SA to DC participant, I was very excited to advocate for housing needs in San Antonio. I had the opportunity to talk with groups and individuals such as United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, Affordable Housing Tax Credit Coalition CEO Emily Cadik, and Enterprise Community Partners to share our priorities and stories. Housing Team members also met with the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Representative Monica De La Cruz, the Department of Transportation, and Urban Land Institute (ULI) to promote our legislative agenda.

The Housing Issues Panel was a highlight of the trip and featured San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, Nikisha Baker of SAMMinistries, Katie Willson of Close to Home, and Debra Guerrero of NRP Group. These knowledgeable panelists introduced San Antonio’s business community to the important work that the City of San Antonio, Bexar County, and their non-profit partners do to support local housing needs. This panel really sparked an interest for local SA Chamber members and other SA to DC participants to support this work, and I look forward to continuing the conversation about how we can work together to address San Antonio’s housing needs.

Before heading back to San Antonio, I had the opportunity to meet up with the LISC DC team to learn about their work under DC’s Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA). Tenant or Community Opportunity to Purchase Acts (COPA) give residents advanced notice and rights to purchase a multifamily rental property when the owner decides to sell the property, exit an affordable housing program, or convert rents to market rate, helping to preserve affordable housing and prevent displacement. The DC team took me on a walking tour the neighborhood where some of their TOPA projects are located, and I saw first-hand the positive impact that their work has on the community. Learning more about LISC’s work in DC was the perfect way to wrap up my trip.

In addition to the impact the SA to DC team hopes to have on legislative outcomes, the trip was very impactful for me personally and energized me to continue this amazing work. I can’t wait until next year's trip!