DEPARTMENT: Department of Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-wide
SUBJECT:
A briefing on addressing homelessness in San Antonio including an update on the City of San Antonio’s Homeless Strategic Plan.
SUMMARY:
This briefing will provide an overview of the results and recommendations of the five-year strategic plan to respond to homelessness in San Antonio and Bexar County. In addition, staff will review initiatives launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent homelessness and serve people experiencing homelessness. The briefing will outline recovery initiatives in process and in alignment with the five-year strategic plan.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
In 2020, San Antonio counted 2,932 people experiencing homelessness in the annual Point in Time count, representing an increase of 151 individuals (or 5%) since 2016. While the overall count is increasing slowly compared to other metropolitan areas across the United States, two groups are growing at more rapid rates: unsheltered homeless individuals and families.
In October 2019, City Council approved a contract with consultant Homebase to work with stakeholders, analyze community data, and develop a five-year strategic plan to address homelessness. Although the report was substantially complete in Spring 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic delayed release of the report, which has been subsequently updated to reflect new demands on the homeless system caused by the pandemic.
For FY 2021, the City of San Antonio has allocated $29,741,592 toward homeless services. Additionally, the City of San Antonio received $16,853,222 in CARES Act - Emergency Solutions Grant funding to directly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding amount is available for two years and has been allocated to projects and strategies to expand emergency shelter, rapid rehousing, homeless prevention, and street outreach services.
ISSUE:
The Department of Human Services has begun implementation of several recommendations from the Homeless Strategic Plan and has updated its response to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March, Human Services has worked with the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH), Haven for Hope, homeless services providers, and City departments to respond to the impact of the pandemic on people experiencing homelessness. Immediate response strategies included the development of isolation protocols for homeless providers, establishing a hotel facility for high risk homeless individuals, coordinating homeless resource hubs and creating a homeless connections hotline. Long-term strategies that align with the strategic plan include an increased focus on permanent housing, collaboration with mental health providers, and expanded street outreach across all council districts.
ALTERNATIVES:
This briefing is for informational purposes only.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This item is for briefing purposes only.
RECOMMENDATION:
This briefing is for informational purposes only