DEPARTMENT: Human Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Melody Woosley, Human Services Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT: Homeless Programs Overview
SUMMARY:
This item provides a briefing on homeless programs to include coordinated encampment outreach and alternative giving initiatives.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
The City of San Antonio Department of Human Services is responsible for the community's efforts to end homelessness by supporting homeless initiatives; participating in policy development; and providing investments and oversight of City owned assets and contracts with Haven for Hope, campus partners, and other homeless service providers. The City of San Antonio supports initiatives designed to impact those most vulnerable in our community, including individuals experiencing homelessness by ensuring that homelessness is rare, brief and non-recurring. The Homeless Services Division collaborates with the local Continuum of Care, service providers, and multiple City Departments to end Vet homelessness, provide homeless encampment outreach events, support the Haven for Hope Campus which offers housing, transformational and life-saving services for men, women and children experiencing homelessness in Bexar County, and address behavioral health issues for homeless individuals in the City. During the mid-year budget review, staff received approval from City Council to allocate $200,000 from the General Fund operating contingency reserve to fund a comprehensive assessment of homeless services, identify gaps in those services and develop, in consultation with our stakeholders, a community strategic plan for addressing those gaps. On October 17th City Council approved a contract with The Center for Common Concerns/ HomeBase for the purpose of conducting a comprehensive Homeless Strategic Plan for the City of San Antonio Department of Human Service. The assessment and community plan is anticipated to be finalized by March 2020 and will serve as a gui...
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