By Edmond Ortiz
This edition of News Briefs highlights the start of a series of public meetings regarding San Antonio’s affordable housing bond, and the re-launch of a city-hosted diabetes insulin assistance program.
Affordable housing meetings
The city of San Antonio is hosting a slate of meetings where community members can get information and provide input on the impact of the city’s $150 million affordable housing bond, which voters approved in 2022.
According to a press release, the public meetings will be held in an open house format with brief presentations and guided discussions by city staff.
The bond supports the production and preservation of affordable single- and multi-family housing citywide as part of the city’s Strategic Housing Implementation Plan (SHIP).
City officials said, to date, the bond has facilitated the creation and preservation of more than 3,100 homes with an additional 1,100 homes under construction and 970 homes in development.
“As a member of the (San Antonio) Housing Commission, it’s encouraging to see both the progress of the affordable housing bond and the continued commitment to community engagement,” Abe Abraham, chair of the housing commission’s public engagement and outreach subcommittee, said in a statement. “Affordable housing is for everyone, and it’s essential that every voice has the opportunity to be heard.”
The scheduled meetings will be held at the following times and places:
*5:30-7:30 p.m. May 18 at Wheatley Heights Sports Complex, 200 Noblewood Ave.
*11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. May 23 at the Central Library, 600 Soledad St.
*5:30-7:30 p.m. May 27 at Mexican American Unity Center, 2300 W. Commerce St., Suite 200
*5:30-7:30 p.m. May 28 at Walker Ranch Senior Center, 835 W. Rhapsody Drive
*5:30-7:30 p.m. June 3 at Bob Ross Senior Center, 2219 Babcock Road
*5:30-7:30 p.m. June 4 at the Northeast Senior Center, 4135 Thousand Oaks Drive
*5:30-7:30 p.m. June 9 at Robinette Community and Senior Center, 1423 South Ellison Drive
*11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. June 13 at Guerra Branch Library, 7978 W. Military Drive
*5:30-7:30 p.m. June 15 at Maverick Library, 8700 Mystic Park
*5:30-7:30 p.m. June 16 at Harvey E. Najim Family YMCA, 3122 Roosevelt Ave.
Insulin assistance available
The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and H-E-B restarted the Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program May 15 with an aim of helping residents manage the cost of diabetes medication.
According to a press release, the program will remain available until allocated money runs out. The program is available to eligible residents of San Antonio and Bexar County who need financial assistance paying for their insulin prescriptions.
The program will cover up to $100 per insulin prescription, including refills. Eligible individuals interested in taking advantage of the program must:
*Ask their doctor to send their insulin prescription to a participating H-E-B pharmacy or drop it off in person. Participating H-E-B Pharmacy locations can be found on this map;
*Complete a consent form with contact information to be shared with Metro Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program, as individuals can receive information about no-cost diabetes education workshops.
Participation in these workshops is optional and not required to receive financial assistance. The workshops take place around the San Antonio area.
Workshop participants get free items to help with nutrition and cooking, physical activity and overall chronic disease prevention, the release stated.
“Access to insulin is critical for individuals living with diabetes,” Metro Health director Dr. Claude Jacob said in a statement. “This program helps reduce financial barriers so residents can continue managing their health and avoid serious complications.”
