SAN ANTONIO – Kevin said SAMMinistries has given him stability while experiencing homelessness.
“I had a bad thing with my life,” Kevin, who asked us not to share his last name, said. “But right now, I want to progress and stay good.”
Kevin’s goal is to find permanent affordable housing, but he said that’s hard to do in San Antonio.
“I want to work and save money,” Kevin said.
To streamline finding housing services resources in San Antonio, the city launched an online portal this week that acts as a “one-stop shop.” The San Antonio Neighborhood and Housing Services Department and the San Antonio Community Resource Directory partnered together to create the Housing Services Portal.
“We have to meet people where they are,” Mark Carmona, the chief Housing officer for the city said.
This portal is a part of the 10-year Strategic Housing Implementation Plan. The portal offers more than 1,200 resources to meet almost any housing-related need. Some of those recommendations are listed below:
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Utility and Rental Assistance
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Legal Assistance
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Eviction Intervention
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Relocation Services
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Home Repairs
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Maintenance
“It’s all about accessibility,” Veronica Garcia, the San Antonio Neighborhood and Housing Services Department director, said. “It’s all about listening to the community and understanding what the needs are.”
The most recent count said 3,155 people experienced homelessness in San Antonio and Bexar County in 2023. Data has been collected for 2024, but it’s still being finalized.
“Homelessness and housing definitely go hand in hand,” Garcia said.
In the most recent episode of Know My Neighborhood, KSAT took a look at downtown resources for those experiencing homelessness. To read that story, click here.