Arrests made as SAHA, HUD Target Housing Fund

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Department, the U.S. Marshals Service and special agents from HUD’s Office of Inspector General arrested 27 Housing Choice Voucher program (formerly Section 8) participants and served 30 felony and one misdemeanor warrant after HUD and SAHA investigations revealed evidence of residents inaccurately reporting income or household composition.

Thanks largely to a computer-based income verification system SAHA’s efforts to reduce housing assistance fraud are paying off. Since the agency began using the Enterprise Income Verification (EIV) system in November 2004, it has discovered income-reporting discrepancies for 97 residents and referred them to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Office of the Inspector General for investigation.

SAHA administers nearly 12,000 housing choice vouchers and has more than 5,000 families presently on the program waiting list.

“Let this action be a warning,” said SAHA President and CEO Henry Alvarez. “SAHA provides housing to San Antonio citizens in need, and we will prosecute to the fullest anyone who fraudulently takes advantage of our programs.”

SAHA routinely reviews resident records for potential discrepancies. Possible fraudulent activities are referred to the HUD OIG for further investigation and potential prosecution.


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