Have you had any experience working with Section 8 tenants/programs?  

*Sources: Old Town North Power Plant Redevelopment Frequently Asked QuestionsPotomac River Generating Station CITY COUNCIL HEARING (Detailed breakdown of the project here)Old Town + All of Alexandria: Alexandria's RiverRenew Program Will Allow Residents to Swim and Eat Fish From the Potomac River by 2040Alexandria's Potomac River waterfront properties have served residents with phenomenal views of the river, National Harbor, and Washington D.C., making the real estate there incredibly desirable.

I'm scratching my head because I feel like the program, least locally here in San Antonio, TX, tells all the landlords to put our listings there, but the tenants don't look there.

Depending on the lender and program your biggest hurdles might be credit score and income and time in job. 

Its the less aggressive model but it was programed into me from a young age, keep your business risk separate from the things that you need to live (home, car, food, etc.). 

See what the instructions that come with the GD say. 

City National Bank has a $50K grant program for homes in certain neighborhoods.

Which S8 "guru" program did you drink their kool-aid?

There are hundreds of DSCR program out there.

This criteria is for 1-4 and 5-8 unit programs.