While John Whitmire campaigned to become Houston’s mayor, he often expressed admiration for San Antonio’s approach to homelessness.
“My model is the Haven for Hope in San Antonio,” he told a room filled with homelessness advocates in the lead-up to the 2023 election. He urged people to Google it. “I’ve been there twice.” He’d already looked for sites where Houston could build a similar shelter.
Three years later, Houston opened its new shelter at 419 Emancipation. It’s inspired by San Antonio’s megashelter, though it’s far from a replica.
Whitmire isn’t alone. Officials from around the country have traveled to San Antonio to study Haven for Hope, hoping to borrow pieces of a model that is gaining sway nationally…