San Antonio’s Haven for Hope has teamed up with local landlords to offer temporary solutions for homelessness by placing its clients in unused properties.
The nonprofit that helps homeless people is trying to arrange events to encourage more landlords to allow homeless individuals to stay in their empty rentals and apartment units.
“It’s very important for us to change the negative image of homelessness and bring in new landlords,” said David Huete, vice president of Transformational Services at Haven for Hope, in an interview with the San Antonio Report. “We want to … invite landlords to understand what our clients are going through, and also show them what resources are available to them and their future tenants.” interview The interview with the San Antonio Report. “We want to … bring landlords in to understand what our clients are facing, but also [showcase] what resources are available to them and to their future tenants.”
As a result of the project, the number of families and individuals without housing in San Antonio has decreased. Haven for Hope stated that in December 2023, there were 70 families in the shelter. By teaming up with landlords, the organization was reportedly able to reduce that number to 40. The organization aimed to house 90 families in 90 days. While it fell short, it ultimately provided housing for 77 families by March 1, including many who were living on the streets.
Katie Vela Wilson, executive director of Close to Home, mentioned to the San Antonio Report, giving credit to Opportunity Home, the city’s housing authority, and the Housing Authority of Bexar County for providing voucher appointments at emergency shelters to simplify the application process. said As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Haven for Hope is a non-profit organization that provides homeless services like drug counseling, job training, and transitional housing, all on a single campus. Its “one-stop-shop” model has been credited with reducing unsheltered homelessness in San Antonio’s downtown area by 77%.
Haven for Hope intends to keep trying to encourage landlords to provide housing for the homeless. By connecting landlords with financial incentives, Haven for Hope can directly address some of the obstacles some homeless people face trying to secure housing. One of the most challenging tasks has been convincing landlords that homeless individuals are not undesirable tenants. reported by “Our neighbors who have moved out of homelessness don’t create or cause any more issues in the community than the general population,” Wilson said. “With time, there’ll be less fear of the unknown of what it means to work with people moving out of homelessness, and I think people will feel good that they’re making a difference in the community.”Meanwhile, the number of homeless people and
in Dallas declined slightly last year but remains high. The most recent point-in-time count identified 4,244 individuals. The City of Dallas
that the count represented a 14% decrease since 2022.
The City of Dallas has not yet experimented with the “one-stop-shop” model employed by Haven for Hope despite the strategy being viewed favorably among residents. Some local stakeholders are looking to bring the model to Dallas, but it remains to be seen whether City officials will embrace the approach. vagrants Meanwhile, about 75% of people living in Dallas think that homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling are still significant issues in the city. reported ” problems throughout the city.
San Antonio’s Haven for Hope has partnered with local landlords to offer temporary housing solutions for the homeless by placing them in unused properties. The nonprofit organization that provides services for the homeless is arranging open houses to persuade more landlords to let homeless people stay in their empty rental properties and apartments. “It’s crucial for us […] polling favorably among residents. Some local stakeholders are looking to bring the model to Dallas, but it remains to be seen whether City officials will embrace the approach.
Meanwhile, some 75% of Dallas residents believe homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling continue to be “major” problems throughout the city.
