SAN ANTONIO – Ed Hinojosa Jr., the now-former president and CEO of Opportunity Home, had his contract cut by the housing authority’s board of commissioners.
The board’s decision came on Wednesday and cited “a need for fresh leadership to propel the organization into a new direction.”
Recommended Videos
“The board appreciates Mr. Hinojosa’s service to the organization and his championing of increasing affordable housing opportunities in our city,” part of an emailed statement read.
The statement further cites the city’s housing crisis as something that “requires steadfast and hands-on leadership that consists of innovative approaches that are built around the people we serve and our long-standing partnerships which are key to increasing affordable housing options and ensuring the financial sustainability of the organization’s efforts.
Opportunity Home said the board unanimously appointed Michael Reyes, formerly their public affairs officer, as acting president and CEO, effective immediately.
“Our dedicated team of public servants and I are steadfast in our commitment to making substantial progress in our mission to support the families and individuals who rely on us,” Reyes said. “We are dedicated to finding innovative solutions to our challenges and ensuring that Opportunity Home remains a pillar of affordable housing for the San Antonio community.”
The board expects the acting president to take bold action and devise creative solutions to counter the organization’s challenges.
“We know we have the most dedicated public servants working at the organization and residents full of promise. We are confident and excited about the future of Opportunity Home,” the statement read.
Acting President and CEO Michael Reyes sent the following statement to KSAT on Thursday afternoon:
“To protect our residents, all pending, eligible Notices to Vacate (NTV) issued last month to public housing households will be rescinded immediately. All households under the $3,000 current repayment policy will be automatically eligible for a repayment agreement. Additionally, the organization will propose to the Board a one-time repayment policy adjustment to double the allowable arrears balance of up to $6,000 for pandemic-era (post-March 2020) balances to protect additional households. Therefore, the eligibility criteria for this directive would be households with active NTVs and a total household balance of up to $6,000. This action will protect more than 80% of affected NTV households and 100% of yet-to-be issued NTV households, which would have consisted of more than 500 additional households in arrears under one year. We must do all we can to protect our vulnerable households, particularly those who are still reeling from the effects of the pandemic,” said Acting President and CEO Michael Reyes. “This is the right thing to do and we will continue to find ways in the coming days and weeks to further protect our residents.”