Haven for Hope’s vice president of operations, Alberto Rodriguez, told the Dallas Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee on Oct. 21 that the San Antonio nonprofit operates a two-campus model that combines low-barrier sheltering with a more traditional shelter and onsite partner services to move people into stable housing.

Rodriguez said Haven for Hope opened as a consolidated campus in 2009 and has served about 54,000 unduplicated people in roughly 15 years. “We just celebrated our fifteenth anniversary this summer and in those 15 years we have served 54,000 unduplicated individuals that have come through our campus,” Rodriguez said. He described a North Campus with eligibility requirements for families and a low-barrier South Campus for adults.

The presentation mattered to committee members because they are considering shelter models and partnerships in Dallas. Rodriguez said the North Campus serves families and others who must meet identification and a recent Bexar County residency requirement; average length of stay there is about four months. The South Campus is “one of the lowest barrier shelters” in San Antonio, he said, with an average stay of roughly two months and 24/7 indoor sleeping after a recent policy shift to reduce outdoor sleeping.

Haven for Hope pairs onsite case management, specialized teams (veterans, young adults, older adults), medical partnerships and supportive services including childcare, dental and eye care. Rodriguez said the campus co-locates about 43 agency offices and 75 partner agencies; the organizations provide services including primary care, behavioral health and a veteran transition program. He noted a medic staffed on campus overnight to intercept many 911 calls and avoid unnecessary emergency-department transports.

Rodriguez gave fiscal and program figures: San Antonio contributes “just a little over $5,000,000” annually and Bexar County about $1.8 million to Haven’s roughly $29,000,000 annual budget; about 60% of Haven’s funding is public and 40% private. He said Hav en served just under 10,000 unduplicated clients in fiscal year 2024 and just under 8,000 in fiscal year 2025, citing overflow-management practices and a design nightly capacity of about 350. For fiscal year 2025, Rodriguez said 1,200 individuals moved into housing from the campus; for fiscal year 2024 he said 94% of those placed in housing remained housed at 12 months.

Committee members asked about city funding, how Haven tracks outcomes and whether the model would translate to other cities. Councilmember Wells asked how much San Antonio contributed; Rodriguez responded that the city contributes just over $5 million annually. Several members noted differences between San Antonio’s system and Dallas, including outreach capacity and public expectations. Rodriguez said success depends on access to affordable housing and rapid move-on assistance — for example, one-month rental subsidies and deposits — and that the region’s recent public bond for affordable housing is important but will take years to yield units.

Council members and staff also asked about siting and community impacts. Rodriguez said San Antonio provided the land; the campus is south of downtown and was placed where there was an existing concentration of unsheltered people and available, unused property. He said colocating services and operating near transit are important to the model’s effectiveness.

The committee did not take formal action on Haven for Hope’s presentation. Members thanked Rodriguez and indicated they would continue studying shelter and service models for Dallas.