Severe Increase in Homelessness Rates Hits San Antonio: Up by 7%

Number of Homeless People in San Antonio Rises by 7%

San Antonio has witnessed a severe escalation in homelessness rates, with a 7% rise compared to last year. According to latest reports, the numbers have been increasing gradually over the years, with major spikes occurring after the global pandemic impacted the city and its economy.

An Analysis of the Current Homelessness Data

The federally funded group, Close to Home, reported the intensified numbers based on its annual point-in-time count carried out in January. The statistical analysis revealed a total of 3,372 homeless people in Bexar County, signifying a 17.4% elevation since 2019, the year before the pandemic. However, there’s a silver lining among these growing figures: part of the homeless population is now availing shelter, with stats signifying a 25% reduction in unsheltered individuals since 2019.

Katie Hubble, the Director of Communications and Development at Close to Home, verified this trend, affirming that a total of 2,484 of the counted homeless individuals were living in shelters, indicating an 8.9% increase from the previous year. While Close to Home’s count provides a worrying number of unabated homelessness, the fact that more individuals are receiving services and shelter is a glimmering beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak context.

Reasons Behind the Growing Homelessness Issue in San Antonio

The escalating homelessness rates are predominantly attributed to the repercussions of the pandemic, including inflation, rapidly increasing rents, burgeoning population growth, and termination of eviction pauses related to COVID-19.

To substantiate this claim, Apartment List data reveals that rents in San Antonio rocketed by 14.5% between 2019 and 2021. Additionally, a study conducted by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies divulged that over half of San Antonians were “cost-burdened” by housing, explicating the reasons behind the 35% leap in the number of chronically homeless individuals, those homeless for more than 12 consecutive months.

Current Initiatives to Curb the Escalating Homelessness Issues

The rising homelessness rates in San Antonio have sparked several initiatives to turn the tide. Nonprofit SAMMinistries aims to alleviate the situation by planning a $43 million, 200-apartment shelter on the South Side to house the chronically homeless and youth aging out of the foster care system. Additionally, available space for the homeless within Bexar County has risen by more than 10%, providing more options for support and shelter. Such endeavors reassure that while the number of homeless individuals is growing, so are the initiatives to help them.