Outreach is designed to build relationships with the homeless, bring them food, water, and connect them with shelter. But from what we learned talking to some on the streets, there are mixed feelings about a new one starting in Balcones Heights.
Patrick Robinson is homeless, and he says outreach programs can connect people to shelter, but those shelters have an overcapacity problem and strict rules.
“I was talking to a gentleman three days ago, he’s like man I went to this one shelter they had close to four hundred people in there and they all sleeping on mats I said ok, he’s like no that’s not ok we have nowhere to move in mind cant move cant turn can’t do this can’t do that,” Robinson said.
But one homeless person who did not want to be on camera said every shelter is going to have rules, and people need to seize the opportunities they have.
The VP of Operations, Alberto Rodriguez, with Haven for Hope, says Haven 4 Hope’s new program that seeks to shelter more homeless men and women provides lots of opportunity to connect people with any shelter that has space.
“Essentially a shelter coordination process where we were able to call and get the time response on whether there is a shelter bed available for that individual or not,” Rodriguez said.
And since the program started in August of 2024 in Leon Valley, it has a 59% success rate, double the average success rate of outreach programs. Balcones Heights was next on the list.
“Being able to be close to the transit center and all of that, I think what they have been seeing is just kind of individuals just sort of coming through that area that may be staying there a little bit longer,” Rodriguez said.
But he did say it takes about seven to nine visits from outreach coordinators to build enough trust with a homeless person to get them to accept shelter.
“Someone you meet for the first time, it’s gonna take you a while to be able to trust that what they’re telling you is true,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said this is currently just a pilot program that will last till September of 2026, then Balcones Heights will decide if they want to keep it.
It will take a little while for them to get to all the unincorporated cities in Bexar County.