BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Trey Meyer, a Bexar County father, was facing eviction on Jan 16. Just days after his story aired on KSAT, Meyer is no longer facing eviction and county renters are one step closer to housing stability assistance.
Meyer had multiple emergencies with his car, to the point where he could not keep up with paying his rent. Eventually, his car gave out completely and he was not able to drive himself for work as a rideshare driver.
Without work, Meyer could not catch up on late rent payments, which landed him in eviction court.
In December, he saw that Bexar County commissioners approved up to $500,000 for Catholic Charities to distribute to people experiencing housing insecurity in need of renter’s assistance.
However, when he reached out to Catholic Charities, they said they didn’t have any money from the county yet.
KSAT reached out to Catholic Charities, and they did not have a timeline on when they would receive money. So, KSAT reached out to the county. The county did not have a timeline by the time our story on Meyer’s situation aired.
On Saturday, after the KSAT story aired, dozens of people in the community donated to Meyer’s fundraiser to help his family. Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai also reached out to Meyer.
“Bexar County has already earmarked funds through trusted partners like Catholic Charities to help families in situations like this,” Sakai wrote in a Facebook post. “While that funding is still moving through the required process, we are working every day to remove roadblocks, speed up delivery, and make sure help reaches people when they need it most.”
Over the weekend, the county secured funds for Meyer’s family to remain in their home in what Meyer referred to as a “bond.” Sakai did not go into detail about how the county secured these funds, but mentioned his team made calls throughout the weekend for Meyer.
“I got a local philanthropic organization to provide the support and the financial assistance that Mr. Meyer needs,” Sakai said.
“I’m blown away,” Meyer said.
Meyer said he’s grateful and blessed for the people in the community who chose to donate to his family, too.
“That’s going to help us secure food, that’s going to help us with the vehicle, get me back on the road,” Meyer said.
Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Calvert said he understands the needs of the community and why programs like the Bexar County Housing Stability Program are needed.
“Many people (are) having a tough time making ends meet with all the food costs, with the housing costs, insurance costs going up,” Calvert said.
Sakai said he also directed the county to expedite the implementation of its $500,000 Housing Stability Program, which was approved last month.
However, funds for the Bexar County Housing Stability Program are still not available yet.
“We have about two to three weeks before the contract can be executed but they (Catholic Charities) are taking people currently and trying to get them in the intake,” Calvert said. “There’s a lot of review that has to happen through the auditor, through various departments, the community and economic development department.”
For people who live in unincorporated Bexar County, county staff recommended reaching out to your county commissioner for assistance if you are in a similar situation.
There are also resources for housing assistance at the link here.
Previous coverage on KSAT.com: