BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Far West Side resident Trey Meyer and his family are on the verge of eviction after two emergencies set them back thousands of dollars.
Because Meyer lives in unincorporated Bexar County, he’s learning that there are limited housing assistance options for those who live outside city limits.
Meyer’s family is behind on paying rent. If they are unable to pay $2,322 by 5 p.m. Tuesday, they will be evicted from their home.
“We are struggling financially right now,” Meyer said.
Meyer started working as a rideshare driver after his brother’s car stopped working, but continued after the car got fixed, because he said it paid better than his previous job.
But then, his own car stopped working.
Having already paid thousands, Meyer still faces about $4,000 in car repairs before he can return to work.
Living on the far West Side, public transit options are very limited, making a car a necessity not just for work, but also for everyday life.
Meyer researched housing assistance programs, but found many require people to live in the City of San Antonio.
Then, Meyer came across news coverage about a newly-approved Bexar County Housing Stability Program.
The county approved up to $500,000 for a grant during a Dec. 16 Commissioner’s Court meeting to fund the program, which is being distributed by Catholic Charities San Antonio.
But neither the county nor the charity has a timeline for when the funds will become available.
“We’ve been fighting the clock of eviction,” Meyer said, “it’s been a scramble.”
A Catholic Charities spokesperson told KSAT it has not yet received the funds from Bexar County.
When KSAT asked Bexar County about the funds, a spokesperson said the county is still in the process of building the program.
“Catholic Charities is assisting with intake and eligibility screening and is conducting a soft launch while the County finalizes the agreement,” a spokesperson wrote. “As a result, there is not a public timeline yet for broader funding availability.”
The county spokesperson asked for Meyer’s information and is looking for ways it might be able to assist, but Meyer fears there’s nothing left that can be done.
While Meyer didn’t want to take his story public, he said that he felt people needed to know about the lack of resources available to residents living in unincorporated parts of the county.
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