Overnight shelters will open in San Antonio while the city experiences what Gov. Greg Abbott warned during a Monday press conference could be the “worst freeze of the year or possibly ever for some parts of Texas.”
Temperatures are expected to drop starting Tuesday, potentially dipping below freezing several times through Saturday. In response, the city of San Antonio is offering temporary overnight shelter for its homeless population.
“In collaboration with our nonprofit partners, beginning Tuesday night, 465 overnight shelter spaces will be available for our unsheltered population,” city spokesman Brian Chasnoff said in an emailed statement.
Last year’s Point-in-Time Count recorded 888 people living on the streets of San Antonio, though that number is likely higher.
Encampment abatements, which typically occur five to six times daily, according to city officials, have been suspended while the city pivots to finding temporary shelter for the street homeless population, Chasnoff confirmed.
“The city will pause all encampment abatements during the cold weather and will resume when weather conditions improve,” he said.
San Antonio plans 1,300 abatements of homeless encampments during its current fiscal year. These abatements — or “sweeps” — displace homeless residents, sometimes without offering shelter. The schedule of abatements can be found on the city’s interactive dashboard.
During the current freeze, San Antonio is offering a 24-hour hotline at (210) 207-1799 that unhoused individuals or concerned neighbors can call to request shelter.
“The city will provide transportation to overnight shelters at any hour of the day,” Chasnoff added. “Animal Care Services will provide kennels to care for pets at shelters.” One of those shelters, Corazon at 230 E. Travis St., is seeking volunteers to accommodate the nearly week-long operation it’s launching to care for the unhoused.
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church, 225 N. Swiss St., also is offering 24-hour shelter starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday. The temporary shelter will provide “warm food, hot beverages, blankets and resources to families impacted by extreme cold,” the church said via email.
“We are committed to ensuring that no one in our community is left out in the cold,” Rev. Melvin D. Wilson Jr., Bethel’s senior pastor said in a statement. “This initiative reflects our deep belief in service and community care.”
Subscribe to SA Current newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter| Or sign up for our RSS Feed
Related Stories
Life on the Fringes: Counting San Antonio’s homeless encampments
City of San Antonio pauses daily encampment sweeps for weekend’s expected freeze
San Antonio’s unhoused population faces limited resources as temps drop below freezing
This article appears in Feb 5-18, 2025.
