2025 State of Homelessness Report<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>states. \u201cTo provide a bed to everyone who was unsheltered on the night of the PIT Count, an additional 641 beds were needed.\u201d<\/p>\nUpcoming bond and budget decisions present a critical moment. If we want a safer, healthier, more compassionate city, we must invest in emergency shelter and supportive services now. That means supporting new permanent shelter options with wraparound services, and continuing to build affordable housing options in our community.<\/p>\n
A bold investment<\/p>\n
Haven for Hope goes beyond the offerings of a typical shelter. Our powerful component of San Antonio\u2019s homeless response system collaborates with more than 75 service providers that work on- and off-campus to provide clients with wraparound support.<\/p>\n
Since opening its doors in 2010, Haven and our incredible partners have helped thousands of individuals and families move off the streets \u2014 or prevented them from becoming unsheltered \u2014 and find permanent, affordable housing. Last year alone, more than 9,800 people came through our doors for safe refuge. They found more than a bed, they found a connection to medical care, addiction recovery, benefits navigation, behavioral health services, job training, peer support and housing \u2014 tools that help them rebuild their lives. We do this because Haven\u2019s clients \u2014 and our partners\u2019 clients \u2014 are our community\u2019s sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, friends, neighbors and colleagues.<\/p>\n
Since inception, 11,482 Haven clients left our programs for permanent housing, and 7,852 clients found job placements.<\/p>\n
Emergency shelter with access to resources is the critical first step for unhoused individuals, offering immediate safety and stability.<\/p>\n
This success didn\u2019t happen by chance. Haven was built on a bold philanthropic and public investment. San Antonio chose to do something different \u2014 and, for many, it worked.<\/p>\n
A bed for all<\/p>\n
Operating beyond Haven\u2019s intended capacity, as we have for the past three years, is not sustainable. It compromises the quality of care and undermines our commitment to trauma-informed care. Our strategic plan aims to restore Haven\u2019s original bed capacity \u2014 about 1,400 beds \u2014 to ensure that every client receives the dignified, person-centered support they need to achieve self-sustainability.<\/p>\n
Contrary to popular belief (and previous practices at Haven), no one sleeps outside. Everyone sleeps inside on bunk beds, beds or mats inside various buildings across our 22-acre campus. With our recently launched \u201cBed for All\u201d initiative, we aim to ensure that everyone has a bed to sleep on, off the ground, by the end of 2027. Based on recent data, clients who sleep in bunks and have increased engagement with case management are three to four times more likely to exit Haven into stable housing compared to those who sleep on mats.<\/p>\n
Haven will be adding four case managers dedicated to serving the men and women in our low-barrier shelter (previously known as \u201cThe Courtyard\u201d) over the next year. This initiative is part of our strategy to increase client engagement and improve healing and housing outcomes for our clients.<\/p>\n
Emergency shelter is not a luxury; it is the essential first step. Without enough shelter beds, people are forced to remain on (or turn to) the streets, where chances of recovery and housing dramatically decline while their risk of abuse, illness, and addiction increases. Early intervention \u2014 especially shelter \u2014 is a key component in preventing chronic homelessness.<\/p>\n
Affordable and supportive housing alone won\u2019t fix this. Outreach alone won\u2019t fix this. Haven for Hope alone won\u2019t fix this. It takes a coordinated system meeting individuals where they are and providing not only shelter and case management, but prevention services and easy access to the resources our community members need in their time of need. It also takes continued funding and support for our community\u2019s homeless response system.<\/p>\n
San Antonio has a legacy of civic innovation. Let\u2019s continue to innovate and choose to invest in shelter and services, not just as a structure, but as a promise. A promise that no one is beyond help and every person has a right to a safe place off the street. A promise of new beginnings, and that hope still works.<\/p>\n
David Huete, Vice President of Programs, Haven for Hope<\/p>\n
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