Our Advocacy Mission

The San Antonio Apartment Association (SAAA) is the recognized voice of the rental housing industry across a 21-county region in South and Central Texas. Since 1964, we have stood at the intersection of policy and housing, working every day to ensure that apartment owners, managers, and suppliers can operate in a fair, stable, and business-friendly environment.

Advocacy is not an add-on for SAAA. It is foundational. Every policy decision made at City Hall, the county courthouse, the Texas Legislature, or in Washington has the potential to affect your ability to provide quality housing, comply with the law, and sustain your business. We are in every room where those decisions are made.

SAAA's Government Affairs Committee and professional staff monitor legislation and regulatory activity at the local, state, and federal levels. We engage policymakers proactively, build durable relationships with elected officials and judicial officers, and coordinate closely with our state and national affiliates, the Texas Apartment Association (TAA) and the National Apartment Association (NAA).

Our Service Area

SAAA serves one of the largest geographic regions of any local apartment association in Texas, spanning 21 counties and hundreds of municipalities. Every jurisdiction within our territory has some degree of authority over rental housing, which is why our advocacy program must be as broad as it is deep.

Our 21-County Region:

Atascosa, Bandera, Bexar, Comal, Dimmit, Edwards, Frio, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Karnes, Kendall, Kerr, Kinney, La Salle, Maverick, McMullen, Medina, Real, Uvalde, Wilson, and Zavala counties, along with all cities and municipalities located within those counties.

This footprint gives SAAA members unmatched advocacy coverage across a region that is among the fastest-growing in the United States. Whether your property is located in Bexar County or along the Texas-Mexico border, SAAA is working to protect your investment.

What Our Government Affairs Team Does

SAAA's Government Affairs program is one of the most active and comprehensive of any local apartment association in Texas. Our work is organized around six core functions:

1. Monitor, Track, and Analyze

We actively monitor legislation, proposed ordinances, regulatory filings, and code changes at the local, state, and federal levels that affect the rental housing industry. This includes tracking activity in every jurisdiction across our 21-county service area, as well as at the Texas Capitol and in Congress.

2. Engage Elected Officials and Regulators

SAAA builds sustained, year-round relationships with city council members, county commissioners, justices of the peace, constables, state legislators, and federal representatives. We do not wait for a harmful proposal to appear before engaging. Our relationships are built long before any vote is called.

3. Advocate in Local Judicial Venues

Few public officials affect the daily operations of SAAA members as directly as justices of the peace and county court judges. SAAA maintains an active presence in our judicial community, educating judges and constables on property management law and ensuring that rental housing providers receive fair treatment in the courts. A knowledgeable judge matters to your bottom line.

4. Influence Code, Fee, and Ordinance Development

SAAA participates in the development process for building codes, municipal fees, inspection programs, and rental registration ordinances before they become final. We represent the industry's perspective at public hearings, in committee meetings, and in direct conversations with city staff and county officials.

5. Coordinate State and Federal Advocacy

Through our affiliation with the Texas Apartment Association and the National Apartment Association, SAAA members have access to advocacy at all three levels of government. SAAA sends delegates to TAA's legislative meetings in Austin and participates in NAA's advocacy efforts in Washington, D.C. What happens in the Legislature and in Congress affects every lease you sign.

6. Communicate and Mobilize Members

Effective advocacy requires a mobilized membership. SAAA keeps members informed of legislative developments through timely communications and alerts, provides tools to contact elected officials directly, and offers opportunities to participate in advocacy trips, committee meetings, and grassroots campaigns through the SA Speak Up platform.

Issues We Monitor

Our Government Affairs team tracks every issue with the potential to affect how you own, manage, and operate rental housing in South Texas. Current and ongoing areas of focus include:

• Landlord-tenant law and eviction procedures
• Building codes and construction standards
• Rental registration and inspection programs
• Impact fees and development charges
• Property tax policy and appraisal reform
• Utility regulations and rate structures
• Fair housing compliance requirements
• Fire and safety codes affecting multifamily properties
• Towing, parking, and gate ordinances
• Mandatory recycling and waste management programs
• Short-term rental regulations and their spillover effects on the multifamily market
• Housing affordability and workforce housing policy
• Section 8 and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) program regulations
• Justice of the peace court operations and judicial education
• Constable fee structures and service delivery

This list is not exhaustive. SAAA monitors any proposed change that could affect your ability to operate profitably, provide safe and affordable housing, and serve your residents.

Why Advocacy Matters to Your Business

The decisions made by elected officials and regulatory agencies directly determine the costs you carry, the procedures you follow, and the rules by which your residents and staff operate every day. Without an active, professional advocacy presence, those decisions get made without the industry's perspective at the table.

SAAA's advocacy work has helped protect our members from costly and burdensome regulations, influenced the development of fair judicial processes, and contributed to a business climate in South Texas that supports continued investment in quality rental housing. That work is ongoing because the regulatory environment never stands still.

When you are a SAAA member, you are not alone. You have an experienced team monitoring every jurisdiction in your region, building relationships with the people who make the rules, and standing up for your ability to do business.

SAAA Political Action Committee

The SAAA Political Action Committee (PAC) is the financial arm of the Association's advocacy program. The PAC allows members to pool voluntary personal contributions to support candidates for local, state, and federal office who understand and respect the needs of rental housing providers.

PAC contributions fund candidate support, advocacy event participation, and the relationship-building work that makes the Government Affairs program effective. Your PAC investment is, in practical terms, a form of business insurance.

The SAAA PAC supports candidates for:

• City Council
• Mayor
• County Judge
• County Commissioner
• Justice of the Peace
• Constable
• State Representative
• State Senator

PAC contributions are voluntary and are used solely for political purposes. Contributions are not deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes. Only personal contributions are permitted under Texas law; corporate contributions to PACs are prohibited.

To learn more about the SAAA PAC or to make a contribution, visit the PAC section of the SAAA website or contact the SAAA office.

SA Speak Up: Our Grassroots Action Platform

SAAA is a founding participant in SA Speak Up (saspeakup.com), a coalition-based civic engagement platform that connects rental housing providers, property managers, and industry professionals with the tools to participate directly in the legislative process.

Through SA Speak Up, members can:

• Monitor upcoming city and county votes that affect the industry
• Send messages directly to their elected representatives with one click
• Track the status of priority legislation and ordinances
• Receive alerts when action is needed on critical issues
• Connect with other advocates across the South Texas region

Grassroots engagement is one of the most powerful tools in the advocacy toolbox. When elected officials hear directly from constituents who are also employers, taxpayers, and housing providers, it matters. SA Speak Up makes that participation easy.

How to Get Involved

Advocacy is a team effort. SAAA's Government Affairs program is most effective when members are engaged, informed, and willing to add their voices to the work. Here is how you can participate:

Join the Government Affairs Committee

The Government Affairs Committee is the standing advisory body that guides SAAA's legislative priorities and government engagement strategy. Committee members receive advance notice of emerging issues, participate in meetings with elected officials, and help shape the association's official policy positions. Contact SAAA to express interest in committee participation.

Contribute to the SAAA PAC

A strong PAC is essential to effective advocacy. Personal contributions of any amount support the association's ability to build relationships with candidates and officeholders who matter to your business.

Engage Through SA Speak Up

Register at saspeakup.com to receive alerts and take direct action when issues affecting the industry come before your elected officials. It takes minutes and makes a real difference.

Attend Advocacy Events and Trips

SAAA organizes opportunities for members to meet directly with elected officials at City Hall, the courthouse, the Texas Capitol, and in Washington, D.C. These interactions are among the most impactful activities in our advocacy program, and member participation is what makes them work.

Stay Informed

Make sure your organization is receiving SAAA communications. Legislative alerts, advocacy updates, and government affairs news are distributed to SAAA members on an ongoing basis. Members who are informed are members who can act.

State and National Affiliations

SAAA membership includes automatic membership in the Texas Apartment Association (TAA) and the National Apartment Association (NAA). These affiliations extend the reach of your advocacy investment to the Texas Legislature, to state regulatory agencies, and to Congress.

Texas Apartment Association (TAA) -- taa.org

TAA is the recognized voice of the rental housing industry at the Texas Capitol, maintaining a full-time government affairs presence in Austin and before more than 20 state regulatory agencies. TAA's advocacy work benefits every rental housing provider in Texas, and SAAA members are active participants in TAA's legislative program.

National Apartment Association (NAA) -- naahq.org

NAA advocates for the rental housing industry at the federal level, engaging Congress and federal agencies on issues including housing finance, fair housing enforcement, and federal regulations affecting property operations. NAA's Advocacy365 platform gives members a direct connection to their congressional representatives.

Contact Our Government Affairs Team

For questions about SAAA's government affairs activities, advocacy positions, PAC participation, or how to get involved:

K. Ryan Baldwin

Executive Director

San Antonio Apartment Association

Email: executivedirector@saaaonline.org

Phone: 210.692.7797

7525 Babcock Road, San Antonio, Texas 78249

The San Antonio Apartment Association is an affiliate of the Texas Apartment Association (TAA) and the National Apartment Association (NAA), serving rental housing owners, managers, and supplier members across a 21-county region in South and Central Texas since 1964.