Low Income Apartments San Antonio: Your Guide to Affordable Housing

Who runs affordable housing in San Antonio

Several public agencies share the work, and each keeps its own waiting lists. Knowing which one you are dealing with saves a lot of phone calls.

Opportunity Home San Antonio

Opportunity Home is the public housing agency for the City of San Antonio. It used the name San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA) for decades before it rebranded, so you will still see “SAHA” on some forms and web addresses. It runs public housing, the Housing Choice Voucher (Section 8) program, special vouchers, and a large group of mixed-income communities. Its main office is at 818 S. Flores St., and the phone number is 210-477-6000. Start on the Opportunity Home apply for housing page.

Housing Authority of Bexar County

The Housing Authority of Bexar County (HABC) is a separate agency. It runs Housing Choice Vouchers, Mainstream vouchers for people with disabilities, HUD-VASH vouchers for veterans, Foster Youth to Independence vouchers, and a Family Self-Sufficiency program. HABC takes voucher applications through its online applicant portal. Its office is at 1954 E. Houston St. and the phone is 210-225-0071. Reception is closed on Fridays, so call Monday through Thursday.

City of San Antonio

The city’s Neighborhood and Housing Services Department does not own apartments, but it runs emergency rent help, tenant and landlord mediation, fair housing complaints, and housing counseling. It also sponsors Housing Base, a free search site for affordable homes. Call 210-207-6459, or 3-1-1 for general city questions.

Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs

The state housing agency, TDHCA, awards the tax credits that pay for most new affordable apartment buildings in Texas and oversees their income rules. Its Help for Texans page lists rental, utility, and other help by area.

Low income apartments San Antonio offers, by type

“Low income apartment” covers several different programs. The national rules are explained in our low income apartments guide; here is how they look in San Antonio.

Public housing

Opportunity Home owns and manages public housing communities around the city. Under 24 CFR 960.201, public housing is limited to low-income families, up to about 80% of AMI. Opportunity Home closed its family public housing waitlist on May 27, 2025, because nearly 49,000 people were already waiting, and has not announced a reopening date. Its elderly/disabled list (head of household 62 or older, or with a disability) and its 504 accessible-unit list still take applications online.

Housing Choice Vouchers

A voucher lets you rent from a private landlord who agrees to take part. Under 24 CFR 982.201, the general limit is 50% of AMI, and at least 75% of new vouchers each year go to extremely low-income families. Opportunity Home only accepts voucher applications when its list is open and says it announces openings on its home page. Our housing choice voucher program guide explains how vouchers work after you get one.

Opportunity Home also runs special vouchers. Mainstream vouchers serve non-elderly people with disabilities. HUD-VASH vouchers serve homeless veterans, who are referred by the VA; the agency points veterans to the local VA office at 210-616-9915. A set-aside for people who are homeless works through referrals from partner agencies such as the Center for Health Care Services and San Antonio Metropolitan Ministries.

Mixed-income and partner communities

Opportunity Home lists mixed-income rental units at 35 communities, plus privately managed partner properties. Some units use tax credit rules and some have project-based rental assistance, so eligibility differs by property. For all of these, you apply directly at the property, not through the main application.

Private tax credit apartments

Many San Antonio apartment complexes were built with Low-Income Housing Tax Credits. Under 26 U.S.C. 42, these properties must keep set shares of units for households at 50% or 60% of AMI, or average 60% across units that can go up to 80%. Rent is a fixed amount tied to the area limit, not to your pay, and many accept vouchers.

San Antonio income limits for FY2026

HUD sets income limits for each metro area every year. Opportunity Home posts the FY2026 limits for the San Antonio HUD metro area, where the median family income is $100,600. The City of San Antonio lists the same 80% figures for its rent help program.

Tax credit properties use a 60% limit that falls between the 50% and 80% columns; ask the leasing office for the exact figure for your household size. Income counts gross yearly income for everyone in the household, including wages, Social Security, SSI, child support, and unemployment. Some items are deducted when your rent is figured. HUD updates these limits each spring, so check the agency’s page before you apply.

How rent is set

In public housing and with a voucher, your share is called the total tenant payment. Under 24 CFR 5.628, it is the highest of 30% of monthly adjusted income, 10% of monthly gross income, or the agency’s minimum rent. Under 24 CFR 5.630, a minimum rent can be no more than $50, and agencies must grant a hardship exemption if you cannot pay it because you lost a job or had a similar crisis.

A voucher holder may pay more than 30% if the unit rents above the agency’s payment standard, but when you first lease up your share cannot be more than 40% of adjusted monthly income. Tax credit rents are fixed, so a household with very little income may still find them hard to afford without a voucher. Utilities matter too: ask whether rent includes water, gas, and electricity, and whether you get a utility allowance.

Finding openings across Bexar County

No single list shows every affordable unit. Use several sources at the same time:

1. Housing Base San Antonio. The city’s free Housing Base site lets you search affordable homes by location, features, and amenities, in English or Spanish. You can build a profile so results fit your needs.
2. Opportunity Home. Apply online for public housing if you qualify for the elderly/disabled or 504 list, and check the “Other Housing Options” page for its mixed-income and partner communities.
3. HABC. Check the applicant portal for voucher openings.
4. HUD’s resource locator. resources.hud.gov maps HUD-subsidized apartments and housing agencies by address.
5. HUD’s LIHTC database. The LIHTC database lists tax credit properties by city and ZIP code.
6. USDA rentals. If you can live in a smaller town outside the city, the USDA rental search shows rural apartment complexes, some with rental assistance.
7. 211 Texas. Dial 2-1-1 or visit 211texas.org for local housing lists and nonprofit help.

When you call a property, ask: Do you have vacancies or a short waiting list? What is the income limit for my household size? Do you take vouchers? Is there an application fee? Write down who you spoke with and the date.

How long is the wait in San Antonio?

Long, for the most popular programs. Opportunity Home’s own estimates range from about two to four years for public housing and up to four years for vouchers, and another part of its site says “two to seven years.” Mixed-income and tax credit properties fill openings as they come up, so they can move faster.

Opportunity Home explains what happens on the list. About 24 hours after you apply, you can create an online portal account to update your contact information and check your status. If the agency cannot reach you, you will be removed from the list. When your name comes up, it mails a pre-application packet that is due back within 10 business days of the mailing date.

• Apply widely. You can be on public housing, voucher, and property lists at the same time.
• Keep your phone and address current in every portal.
• Check mail often so a 10-day deadline does not pass.
• Look outside the city. Nearby towns and rural properties may have shorter waits.

If you need a place quickly, see our guide to low income housing with no waiting list.

Rent help while you wait

The City of San Antonio’s Rental Assistance Program helps renters facing eviction. Based on the city’s page:

• Household income must be at or below 80% of AMI, and you must live inside San Antonio city limits (Council Districts 1 to 10).
• You must still owe rent and upload an active notice to vacate or court eviction citation.
• It can pay up to three consecutive months, with a cap of $3,500 for rent and $1,500 for utilities, paid directly to the landlord or utility.
• Help is available once in 12 months, and the landlord must agree to take part.
• Applications open on the second Wednesday of each month, from 1 to 2 p.m., and do not carry over; check the city’s page for the current schedule.

Funding is limited, so also call 2-1-1 for charities that help with rent. Texas eviction rules changed under SB 38 for cases filed from January 1, 2026; our eviction assistance in Texas guide explains the new steps and where to get free legal help, including TexasLawHelp.org.

Screening, denials, and fair housing

Opportunity Home lists its basic rules for every adult in the household: meet HUD citizenship or eligible immigration rules, pass criminal and rental history screening, pay any money already owed to the agency, and have income within HUD limits. Private and tax credit properties often check credit as well.

If a housing agency denies you, it must tell you why in writing and explain how to ask for an informal review. Bring proof that answers the problem, such as a payment plan for an old balance. If you have a disability, you can ask for a reasonable accommodation at any step. If an old eviction is holding you back, see low income housing with an eviction.

If you think a landlord turned you away because of race, disability, family status, or another protected trait, the city takes fair housing complaints through its Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. Never pay anyone who promises to move you up a list; real lists are free. The FTC warns about rental listing scams.

What documents do I need to apply?

Expect to show photo ID, Social Security numbers for the people applying, proof of income for the last 30 days, and proof of where you live, plus any paper that shows the emergency itself. Our document checklist explains what counts for each item and what to do if something is missing. If you don't have everything yet, apply anyway and ask the office how long you have to bring the rest.

How to apply, step by step

1. Check your income against the FY2026 table above for your household size.
2. Apply to Opportunity Home online for public housing (the elderly/disabled or 504 list, while the family list is closed), then create your portal account about 24 hours later.
3. Check voucher lists at Opportunity Home and HABC, and apply when one opens.
4. Search Housing Base and the LIHTC database, and apply at several tax credit and mixed-income properties directly.
5. Gather your documents so you can return a packet within 10 business days.
6. Keep a log of each list, the date you applied, and your confirmation numbers.
7. Update your contact details with every list whenever they change.

Related guides

• Texas rental assistance
• Emergency housing vouchers in Texas
• Low income senior housing
• Public housing

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information. Income limits, waiting lists, and program funding are set by HUD, the housing agencies, and the City of San Antonio, and they change. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with Opportunity Home San Antonio, the Housing Authority of Bexar County, the City of San Antonio, HUD, or any government agency.