Opportunity Home Recognized by Community First Health Plans for Creating Lasting Change
For thousands of San Antonio families, Opportunity Home is more than housing assistance – it’s stability, resources, and a path forward.
As the largest affordable housing provider in Texas, the organization serves more than 62,000 residents through public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers, and mixed-income programs. More than 40 percent of its residents are children. “There are kids out there depending on us to make really hard, tough decisions,” President and CEO Michael Reyes said. “We have to live up to that expectation.” Reyes grew up in public housing at Alazán-Apache Courts in San Antonio and now leads the organization he once called home.
Under Reyes’s leadership, Opportunity Home is focused on addressing an urgent need, as more than 46,000 people are on the waitlist for affordable housing in San Antonio. Opportunity Home is modernizing 6,000 public housing units and bringing back 1,744 that were lost in previous decades. A $1.3 billion construction effort will add thousands of new affordable units across the city, placing homes near jobs, schools, and transit.
Building and preserving housing is only part of the work. Community partnerships with local agencies, schools, and nonprofits enable Opportunity Home to make an impact beyond rental assistance through educational opportunities, transportation assistance, afterschool programs, tutoring, and job training. For elderly and disabled residents, community partners help create opportunities for social connection and access to essential resources. “The scope is whatever the family needs,” Reyes said.
Reyes credits Opportunity Home’s impact to a team that understands the work is personal. Many have served for years, driven by a shared commitment to public service and compassion. He encourages staff to spend time in the community, listening to residents and seeing their challenges firsthand. “It’s important for them to see a photo of our families and say, this is who you work for. These are your bosses,” Reyes said.
For him, leading Opportunity Home means honoring that responsibility every day and continuing the mission the organization has carried forward since 1937.