Posted on May 9, 2019 by Michelle Skidmore

photo of downtown san antonio skyline

(May 10, 2019) — With the possibility of gentrification and redevelopment on San Antonio’s Westside, residents fear displacement, and that means lack of affordable housing and inter-generational poverty. Associate Professor and Director of the Policy Studies Center Roger Enriquez is collaborating on a project with District 5 Councilwoman Shirley Gonzales and the Mexican American Unity Council (MAUC) to help residents on San Antonio’s Westside protect their most valuable assets – their homes. Enriquez and the MAUC Housing Center led a series of workshops designed to help homeowners establish clear titles, advise them to challenge appraisals to lower their taxes, and show them how to apply for available property tax exemptions. Enriquez supervises UTSA undergraduates trained to assist homeowners with estate planning. It’s important to know that state law now gives homeowners more ways to transfer assets. The project helped homeowners clear titles with affidavits of heirship, gift, or will for free. The work of project leaders is preparing residents to be ready for San Antonio’s population boom and the wave of development in the area.

Read the full article by Elaine Ayala in the San Antonio Express-News

 

— Michelle Skidmore