SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio now ranks second in Texas for the highest homeless population, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
The 2024 Point-in-Time count revealed an estimated 3,398 individuals experiencing homelessness in San Antonio, surpassing Houston, Austin, and Fort Worth.
Here’s the breakdown for each major Texas metro for the year:
- Dallas: 3,718
- San Antonio: 3,398
- Houston: 3,280
- Austin: 2,975
- Fort Worth: 2,463
The report, released in late 2024, addresses a growing concern for affordable housing nationwide. Katie Wilson, the executive director of Close to Home, helps lead San Antonio’s PIT count each year. She said 2024’s data revealed that families are most at risk.
“It’s really an economic and affordable housing issue,” Wilson said. “We were seeing an increase in families that started after the end of the eviction moratorium, post-COVID, and also as we started to see fewer funds available for things like homelessness prevention.”
Nikisha Baker, President and CEO of SAMMinistries, called the increase in families a critical area that needs more attention.
“That is an area where we undoubtedly have to make headway,” Baker said.
So, how is the count collected? Wilson said a group of officials and volunteers physically count the number of people in shelters and streets one night each year. For this year, the count is scheduled for Jan. 28.
Patrick Steck, Assistant Director of the Department of Human Services for San Antonio, said this data did reveal some successes for San Antonio, mostly through its shelters.
“Our shelter system is working very well relative to the country as a whole,” Steck said.
Steck said the city has a goal to get 500 people in shelter beds and off the streets in 2025. He said it’s a feasible goal with the city’s centralized system to coordinate shelter providers.
“We’ll see a lot of progress in 2025,” Steck said.
Haven for Hope is one of those shelters. Terri Behling said that in the group’s fiscal year 2024, it served 611 families. That’s a 17% increase from the previous fiscal year.
“We’ve been over capacity for the past two years,” Behling said. “Homelessness doesn’t discriminate, and it can happen to anyone.”
So, how can change happen? City and community leaders agree it comes down to affordable housing.
“Ultimately, it’s going to take a lot of coordination towards those longer-term, big-picture solutions like permanent supportive housing and affordable housing,” Wilson said. “Ultimately, housing is what ends homelessness. You have to have a place you can afford to live and be stable.”
The next PIT count will take place on Jan. 28, 2025, but the full data will not be available until later in the spring.
