In what has become an increasingly contentious issue, San Antonio is grappling with the presence of homeless encampments within its borders. The city, following through on public concern and a commissioned survey, has stepped up its game on cleaning up these sites, conducting what they call "abatements" or "sweeps." As reported by San Antonio Report, city officials aim to tackle 700 cleanups this year—200 more than a previous one.
Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito has been a vocal advocate for addressing these encampments, especially following an incident where a teenager experiencing homelessness allegedly killed and robbed an autistic man. "While a lot of people do have compassion toward our unsheltered population, I do feel that that compassion is eroding, and it scares me," Gavito told San Antonio Report. Her proposal, still under the city's consideration, aims to prioritize sweeps around schools, neighborhoods, and other high-sensitivity areas.
Despite these measures, officials acknowledge that sweeps are not the panacea for homelessness. Rather, the emphasis is shifting to a blend of abatement and outreach, striving to connect the homeless with services and housing. The strategy, however, is not always straightforward, as case management and trust-building with individuals suffering from trauma, addiction, or mental health issues play a central role in the process. According to the same report obtained by San Antonio Report, Assistant City Manager Lori Houston stipulates that "We know we can't abate away homelessness." Instead, Houston underscores the importance of case management as core to their strategy.
KSAT has looked at the broader context of this complex issue, including the factors that may be contributing to the visibility of encampments. According to KSAT Explains, the arrival of the pandemic might have intensified the situation. Reduced shelter capacities to curb infections and a shift in some smaller agencies' focus exacerbated the visibility of those living on the streets. One of the voices from the community, Rex Brien of SAMMinistries, indicated that the impacts of the pandemic—fear of shelters, adapting services, and observing guidelines from entities like the CDC—contributed to this trend.
While the numbers of the unsheltered in San Antonio have seen a relatively steady pattern in recent years, the city has vowed to connect more homeless individuals to shelters or permanent housing, targeting about 400 people this fiscal year. Taking aim at the root of the crisis, officials hold fast to the belief that "homelessness is a housing problem," as Gavito remarked and this sentiment is echoed by the community at large. Moving forward, the city's approach, as the date for full council discussion of Gavito's proposal approaches on April 11, is clear. As Gavito firmly declared to the San Antonio Report, "We're definitely going in the right direction, but we cannot let our foot off the gas pedal."
