San Antonio City Council Budget Hearing on Housing, Homelessness, and Animal Services - August 20, 2025

The San Antonio City Council held a budget hearing on August 20, 2025, focusing on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budgets for the Department of Strategic Services (homelessness) and the Neighborhood and Housing Services Department (NHSD), as well as the Animal Care Services (ACS) department. Presentations detailed current initiatives, spending, and outcomes, followed by extensive council discussion on long-term strategies, funding priorities, and service effectiveness.

Homelessness and Housing Strategies

• Marc Carmona, President and Director of the Department of Strategic Services, presented the homelessness budget. The department's proposed 2026 budget is $26.1 million, with $21.5 million already contracted, including 43 positions. Additional funds total $30.5 million for other services, bringing total homelessness-related spending to $26.2 million.
• The city's low-barrier shelter (operated by SAM Ministries) has 185 rooms funded (out of 313 available), with a 90% occupancy rate. Since opening, 526 individuals have been served, 266 have moved to permanent housing, and approximately 200 have returned to the streets (negative exits). The average stay is 132 days, similar to national averages.
• The city has removed over 1,300 encampments, costing about $2,000 per removal. 75% of encampments are concentrated in 10 locations. The department reported that 3,880 individuals have moved from streets to housing, and 2,070 have moved from housing to permanent housing.
• Verónica García, Director of NHSD, presented the housing strategy. The 10-year SHIP plan aims to build or preserve 28,000 homes, with half for households earning less than 30% of area median income (about $26,000/year). The proposed 2026 budget for NHSD is $90.5 million, including $34 million for housing programs. This represents a reduction of $1 million from the previous year for minor home repairs, but the city is partnering with nonprofits to maintain service levels.
• The city's housing bond (150 million) is supporting the preservation of over 500,000 homes, with nearly 1,500 affordable units. The average price of a bond-funded home is $170,000.

Animal Care Services

• John Gary, new director of ACS, presented the budget of $33 million with 245 positions. The department has doubled its field response capacity since 2019, with a 106% increase in investigations. Critical response times are meeting 70% of calls on time.
• The department opened two new spay/neuter clinics this summer, performing over 500 surgeries and aiming for 6,000 next year. The save rate for dogs is 85% and for cats 90%, the highest in Texas.
• The Pet Care Connect pilot program, operating in several districts, has reached over 4,000 homes and provided 1,400 pet care resources. The department also launched a marketing campaign that increased adoption interest by 90% through improved photos.

Council Discussion and Questions

• Council members expressed broad support for addressing homelessness and housing affordability but raised concerns about long-term sustainability. Council Member Mungía called for a five-year plan for the low-barrier shelter, noting that the current year-to-year lease is inefficient. The shelter's lease expires October 2025, and the property owner (Macomb) has not expressed interest in renewing. Council Member Mungía emphasized the need for a comprehensive strategy including transitional housing, mental health services, and addiction treatment.
• Council Member White opposed the $4.8 million general fund allocation for the low-barrier shelter, arguing the results are mediocre and the city should focus on public safety and infrastructure. He questioned the cost per positive outcome (approximately $20,000 per person) and whether the shelter is serving primarily San Antonio residents. He noted that the city pays rent for 313 rooms but can only use 185, calling for a reevaluation of the program.
• Council Member Castillo requested data on the cost of encampment removals, including police services, and asked for a breakdown of outcomes for those who leave the shelter. She also questioned the effectiveness of the outreach team's pay and retention, suggesting a pay differential for these workers.
• Council Member Villagrán asked about the salary of outreach workers and supported a pay differential to retain staff. He also requested a comparison of the $1 million reduction in housing repair funds versus a $3.1 million increase for salaries elsewhere.
• Council Member Spears emphasized the need for collaboration with the county on animal services and expressed concern about the low-barrier shelter's impact on families. She noted that 49% of first-time homeless individuals are victims of domestic violence and called for a more integrated approach with the county.
• Council Member Castro praised the ACS team and asked about non-critical response times, noting that constituents in her district report dogs roaming for hours. She urged expanding the Pet Care Connect program and improving response to non-critical calls.
• Council Member Galván highlighted the importance of the outreach team and asked about the city's income from animal bite cases. He also supported exploring a pay differential for outreach workers.
• Council Member Sandoval asked about the long-term development of the low-barrier shelter and the city's coordination with the San Antonio Housing Trust. She also inquired about the number of youth experiencing homelessness and the possibility of a youth-specific shelter.
• Council Member Alonso requested data on why people return to homelessness, noting that the city's system captures case notes but that the council needs better access to this information to evaluate program effectiveness.
• Mayor Jones emphasized that the low-barrier shelter is not a sustainable long-term solution and directed staff to return with recommendations for a more comprehensive plan. She also noted that the city needs to prioritize between permanent housing, transitional housing, and other interventions.

Key Outcomes

• No formal votes were taken during this hearing; it was a budget work session.
• Council members directed staff to:
  • Develop a long-term (5-year) plan for homelessness services, including the low-barrier shelter, transitional housing, and integration with mental health, addiction, and health services.
  • Explore pay differentials or salary adjustments for outreach workers to improve retention.
  • Provide data on encampment removal costs (including police), the origins of shelter residents, and detailed outcomes of shelter exits.
  • Report on the effectiveness of the low-barrier shelter and the Pet Care Connect pilot program.
  • Consider reallocating unused funds from the City's Affordable Housing Trust Fund (e.g., for lateral sewer connections or accessory dwelling units) and bring recommendations for future use.
  • Review the $1 million reduction in minor home repair funds and the impact on service levels.
• The meeting was adjourned at 4:54 PM on August 20, 2025.