The South Alamo Regional Alliance for the Homeless, or SARAH, will conduct its annual Point-In-Time Count of the homeless population in Bexar County tonight. Homelessness remains a problem in San Antonio.
Katie Vela is a program manager with SARAH and says homelessness in San Antonio has remained steady.
“Last year we counted about 2,700 people in our point in time count,” Vela says. “It’s really hard to get good data on people experiencing homelessness. We do this in order to make sure we have one dedicated time each year where we go out and make a concerted effort and find everyone.”
Vela says it’s especially hard to find homeless youth under the age of 24. She says they tend to hide in groups to avoid human trafficking.
“A lot of people ask what should I do if I see someone who is homeless,” Vela says. “I would say if you have the opportunity to engage with them and just acknowledge them and if you know of a couple service providers, maybe offer a suggestion.”
Vela says humanizing a homeless person can have a bigger impact than giving money.