PEOPLE TO JUST BE OPEN-MINDED WHEN THOSE PROJECTS COME UP, RIGHT WHERE 15 SECONDS AWAY.
>> IT IS MUCH MORE THAN JUST A
HOMELESS SHELTER. IT IS A
TRANSITIONAL CENTER WHERE
PEOPLE CAN GO TO GET HELP GET
OFF THE STREET, GET A MEAL IF
THAT’S ALL THEY WANT OR
COMPLETELY CHANGE THEIR LIFE,
IF THAT’S WHAT THEY WANT AS
WELL, HAVEN FOR HOPE. PRESIDENT
AND CEO KIM JEFFRIES JOINS US
NOW LIVE ON THE KSAT Q AND A
KIM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
TAKING TIME OUT. AND I KNOW
IT’S A BUSY TIME AT HAVEN FOR
HOPE. I MEAN, YOU’RE OVER
CAPACITY. IT WAS SOMETHING LIKE
YOU’RE AT 113% CAPACITY THERE.
IS THAT STILL THE CASE? AND
WHAT SEEMS TO BE DRIVING THIS
RIGHT NOW. WHAT ARE YOU SEEING?
THE BIGGEST POPULATION THERE
INCREASE?
>> YEAH, THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT WE ARE
ACTUALLY IN 118% OF OUR DESIGN
CAPACITY TODAY. AND WE’RE
SEEING A SURGE IN SINGLE WOMEN
FAMILIES AND 75% OF FAMILIES
THAT WE’RE SEEING TODAY ARE ONE
PARENT HOUSEHOLD FAMILIES.
MOST OF THEM SINGLE MOTHERS
WITH CHILDREN.
>> WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS
THAT HAVE LED YOU ALL HERE?
I MEAN, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A
PLACE THAT PROVIDE SERVICES
LIKE THESE ALL THE TIME.
BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK IS BEHIND
THIS CURRENT INCREASE?
>> IT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE IT
ONLY BEEN IN THE JOB 10 MONTHS,
BUT I THINK WE’RE AT THE
PERFECT STORM OF EARLIER THIS
YEAR. THE EVICTION MORATORIUMS
WERE WE’RE SEEING THIS RISING
WHERE THINGS THAT YOU NEED LIKE
GAS AND FOOD ARE MORE
EXPENSIVE. AND THEN OUR HOUSING
MARKET HAS INCREASED OVER THE
LAST YEAR AND SO RENTALS GONE
WE’RE SEEING A BIG SHUNS.
THE NUMBER ONE REASON WHY
FAMILIES ARE COMING TO US FOR
NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD THE
RENT THAT THEY’RE IN APARTMENTS
RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE RENT HAS
GONE UP. SO IT’S ALL KIND OF
THE COMBINATION OF ALL OF THOSE
THAT HAS COME TOGETHER AND
WE’RE SEEING MORE FAMILIES THAN
WE’VE EVER SEEN. THIS IS THE
MOST FAMILIES WE’VE HOUSE AND
EVEN IN ANY ONE TIME WE HAVE
102 FAMILY DORM ROOMS THAT ARE
FULL AND 60 ADDITIONAL FAMILIES
SLEEPING IN A MESS, A COMMON
SPACES. THAT’S WHAT’S GOING TO
SAY. I MEAN, WHEN THIS HAPPENS,
YOU TAKE SOME OF THE
>> HALLWAYS AND OFFICES AND
WHATEVER YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE
YOU DON’T TURN PEOPLE AWAY.
CORRECT.
>> YES, WE ARE THE ONLY SHELTER
AND TRANSFORMATIONAL CAMPUS IN
SAN ANTONIO COMMITTED TO NEVER
TURNING A FAMILY WAY SO THEY
CAN COME ANYTIME, DAY OR NIGHT.
AND WE WILL FIND A PLACE FOR
THEM TO TO HAVE A PLACE TO
SLEEP. WHEN I’M GOING TO LET
KIDS SLEEP IN A CAR AROUND ON
THE STREET. YEAH, I’VE BEEN
THERE BEFORE WORD THE CHAPEL
HAS BEEN USED AT NIGHT FOR
SLEEPING AND THEN IT’S CLEANED
UP AND USED DURING THE DAY FOR
THE REGULAR SERVICES THAT YOU
HAVE THERE. SO I KNOW THAT
THERE’S A LOT OF COMMON SPACES
THAT THAT ARE BEING USED.
>> CLASSROOMS CHAPELS, ANYTHING
WE CAN BUY RIGHT NOW.
>> SO WHAT WHAT DO YOU FEEL
LIKE NEEDS TO HAPPEN GOING
FORWARD? I MEAN, IS THERE IS
THIS JUST ABOUT KIND OF
WEATHERING THAT THE NUMBERS AT
THE MOMENT OR ARE THERE
SOLUTIONS THAT YOU THINK CAN BE
PUT INTO PRACTICE RIGHT NOW?
WE’RE ALL IN THE WORKS TO HELP
MAKE SPACE AND ALSO NOT ONLY
MAKE SPACE BUT GET PEOPLE IN
A SPACE WHERE THEY’RE SAFE FOR
THEIR SHELTERED.
>> YEAH, I THINK THERE’S 2
THINGS. YOU WHEN YOU LOOK AT
UPSTREAM, MAKING SURE THAT
WE’RE PUTTING MONEY INTO
PREVENTION AND DIVERSION FROM
HOMELESSNESS, WE DON’T COME TO
HAVE IN THE CITY HAS RELOCATION
THE COUNTY IS DOING A REALLY
GREAT JOB WITH MORTGAGE
ASSISTANCE AND THERE’S UTILITY
MAKING SURE PEOPLE ARE TAKING
ADVANTAGE OF THOSE RESOURCES
THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND
WE CAN HELP NAVIGATE THEM.
AND EVEN IF THEY WANT TO GIVE
US A BEFORE, SO THEY DON’T COME
TO OUR DOOR. BUT THEN IT’S,
YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THOSE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND
PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING
FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE YOU KNOW,
ONLY 2% OF THE UNITS IN OUR
COMMUNITY ARE IN THE 30%.
AND MOM, AREA MEDIAN INCOME,
WHICH IS WHAT MOST OF OUR
LOW-INCOME, EXTREMELY
LOW-INCOME FAMILIES MIGHT NEED.
42% OF FAMILIES COMING TO US
HAVE IN COMMON. SO THEY HAVEN’T
COME. THEY JUST DON’T HAVE
ENOUGH INCOME TO PAY THE
AVERAGE RENT OF $1300 IN OUR
COMMUNITY. SO WE NEED
AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND THE CITY
HAS MONEY AND THE HOUSING BOND
TO DO THAT. WE JUST KNEW
DEVELOPERS TO COME TO THE TABLE
AND NEIGHBORHOODS TO ACCEPT
THOSE PROJECTS. CAN I CAN I
MAKE A JUMP HERE AND ASK YOU
HAVE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW ON YOUR
CAMPUS?
>> THAT COULD QUALIFY FOR SOME
OF THIS AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
BUT YOU DON’T HAVE THE
AFFORDABLE HOUSING TO PUT THEM
IN. IS THAT CORRECT?
>> CORRECT. SO THAT THE CITY
IN HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, ASIAN
PLAN AND DETERMINE WE NEED
ABOUT 7,000 UNITS AT 30% OF
THE AREA, MEDIAN INCOME IN
ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE
INDIVIDUALS IN AND THAT, YOU
KNOW, THERE’S THOUSANDS OF
PEOPLE WHO ARE HOUSING INSECURE
BECAUSE OF THAT IN OUR
COMMUNITY. SO WE THAT THE MONEY
IS OUT THERE IN THE BOND FOR
THE PROJECTS. NOW WE JUST NEED
TO GET THEM ROLLING 118%
CAPACITY RIGHT NOW. AND WE KNOW
THAT THAT’S UP FROM THE LAST
TIME WE TALKED TO YOU, I
BELIEVE JUST LAST WEEK.
>> THAT NUMBER HAS GONE UP.
SO SOMEBODY WATCHING THIS, WHAT
CAN THEY DO IF THEY WANT TO
HELP OUT RIGHT NOW WITH THIS
ISSUE? WHAT ARE THEIR OPTIONS?
>> THEY CAN MAKE A DONATION TO
HELP US OFFSET THE COST.
THE COST ABOUT $25 A DAY FOR
SOMEBODY TO STAY ON EVEN THE
CAMPUS. SO EVEN A $25 DONATION
MAKES A DIFFERENCE. WE HAVE A
WISH LIST ONLINE, FOR SUPPLIES
THAT WE NEED TO HELP SUPPORT
THESE FAMILIES THEN GO TO EVEN
OUT TOWARD AND CHECK OUT OUR
WISH LIST AND SHIP THINGS
DIRECTLY TO US. AND THEN AS
HOUSING PROJECTS COME UP, I
THINK JUST BEING OPEN MINDED
AND LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE
HOUSING PROJECTS IN PORTABLE
HOUSING OR THE PERMANENT
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING IN THEIR
NEIGHBORHOODS BEING WORK HERE
IS ASKING MORE QUESTIONS TO
SEE IF THAT’S SOMETHING THAT
THAT THEIR AREA MIGHT NEED.
>> DON’T BE SO ANTI AFFORDABLE
HOUSING COME COME OUT WITH AN
OPEN MIND.
>> YES, WE’VE GOT TO BE
OTHERWISE WE’RE IN. THIS
SITUATION IS ONLY GOING TO GET
WORSE. IT CAME. HOW MANY PEOPLE
WOULD YOU SAY 118% CAPACITY.
HOW MANY PEOPLE IS THAT RIGHT
NOW AT A BIN FOR HOME? JUST A
LITTLE OVER 1600 RIGHT NOW ARE
PEOPLE FOR HELP? WOW. SO WE CAN
THAT WE CAN ACCEPT UP TO ABOUT
18. 17 IS OUR OVERFLOW
CAPACITY. AND THEN WE HAVE A
SOMEWHAT COUPLE EMERGENCY
SPACES THAT WE CAN USE THAT WE
NEED TO.
>> JIM JEFFERIES, PRESIDENT AND
CEO OF HAVEN FOR HOPE. THANK
YOU SO MUCH HAVEN FOR HOPE,