People experiencing homelessness in San Antonio area jumped 5.3% over last year

The total of number of people experiencing homelessness in Bexar County increased by 5.3% — or 3,155 people — over the past 12 months, according a new census of individuals experiencing both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness here.

The data is part of the latest point-in-time count conducted annually by the South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless (SARAH). Of the new people experiencing homelessness, 874 were unsheltered, while 2,281 were sheltered.

Despite the overall rise in the number of people experiencing homelessness, unsheltered homelessness decreased by 15.6% over the same time period, the report shows.

"The decrease in unsheltered homelessness is fantastic news and really speaks to the work and the focus on this area in the last couple of years with expanding street outreach, talking about housing needs [and] looking at different systemic issues," SARAH Executive Director Katie Vela said in a statement.

According to the report, those experiencing chronic homelessness — or homelessness for 12 months or more with a disabling condition — decreased by 33% from 2022. When examining the unsheltered count only, chronic homelessness decreased by 55%.

While SARAH officials said the trends are encouraging, the report shows that San Antonio residents are still struggling with inflation, rising housing costs and fallout from the COVID crisis. Additional federal resources akin to the CARES Act and emergency housing vouchers offered during the pandemic would help offset those pressures, the report argues.