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Haven for Hope reports high engagement in Leon Valley outreach pilot
Summary
Haven for Hope told Leon Valley council that a two-person outreach team enrolled 270 unsheltered people into HMIS in the pilot year (8/1/24–9/30/25); 124 accepted shelter and 52 remained housed per HMIS retention tracking, a rate the presenter said is well above HUD averages.
Alberto Rodriguez, vice president of operations for Haven for Hope, told the Leon Valley City Council on Nov. 18 that a county-funded street outreach pilot in Leon Valley enrolled 270 unsheltered individuals into the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) from Aug. 1, 2024, through Sept. 30, 2025.
Of those 270 people, Rodriguez said 124 accepted shelter services and 111 were enrolled at Haven for Hope; of those 111, 52 had remained out of homelessness in the period reviewed. Rodriguez characterized that as a roughly 46 percent immediate engagement rate and said the pilot’s outcomes compare favorably with HUD’s typical 15–25 percent engagement rates for street outreach programs.
Rodriguez described Haven for Hope’s two-campus model — a low-barrier south campus and a transformational north campus that serves children — and the organization’s network of partner agencies. He said outreach in Leon Valley began as a pilot in July 2024 and is now funded by the Bexar County commissioners’ court. Outreach staff and communications personnel attending the meeting said the program also connects people to housing case management and other services and that retention rates are tracked through HMIS.
Council members pressed for detail on the reported percentages and retention measurements. Rodriguez acknowledged a likely arithmetic error in one slide and promised a corrected percentage via email; he said HMIS limits the program’s ability to track people who accepted services at other shelters. He also said the program’s average length of shelter stay at Haven for Hope is about 54 days and that long-term housing retention is normally measured at the one‑year mark.
The council thanked Haven for Hope staff for the pilot work and for volunteer support from local residents who participated in outreach counts. Rodriguez encouraged volunteer donations of time and winter clothing, and offered to share client‑success stories and additional data with council on request.
The council did not take legislative action on the presentation; members said they will follow up for more precise figures and future updates.
