A local nonprofit hired by the City of San Antonio officially launched the Housing Services Portal on Tuesday that will serve as a digital one-stop shop to help residents find programs that can assist with housing-related issues in and around Bexar County.
Anyone in need — or anyone assisting someone in need — can sort through a growing list of more than 1,200 programs organized on the San Antonio Community Resource Directory (SACRD) platform to find a variety of housing-related offerings including eviction prevention, rental assistance, utility assistance, transportation and low-cost home goods and home repair.
The website is free, easy to navigate, anonymous — meaning you don’t have to sign in — and comprehensive, said Bill Neely, executive director of SACRD. It includes human services offered by congregations, nonprofits, government agencies, small businesses and other groups.
“It has to be comprehensive, because we rarely have just one need,” Neely said. Housing insecurity, for instance, is often paired with food insecurity.
The map feature also allows users to find resources, if any, close to where they live or work. “The zip code is pretty important to SACRD because we feel like we have to give you something that’s close by,” he said.
Including the programs offered through the Housing Portal, SACRD has a list of 11,000 programs in Bexar County and seven surrounding counties that can assist with general care, education, food, health, legal issues, transportation and employment. The website — including its portals for housing, domestic violence, internet access and mental health — is available in English and Spanish and the listings are updated at least once per year.
SACRD’s Housing Finder portal displays affordable apartment and home listings across the city, while Housing Base, a separate website paid for by the city, shows listings that have received public funds.
Creating a centralized housing information and resource hub was one of many strategies outlined in the city’s Strategic Housing Implementation Plan that was adopted by City Council in 2021.
Originally envisioned as a “center” located in a physical building, the city has since shifted away from that plan.
“The city’s focus in the immediate is establishing the digital aspect of the one-stop shop that empowers neighbors, community organizations and individuals with connections to resources at anytime, anywhere,” said Veronica Garcia, director of the city’s Neighborhood and Housing Services Department. “Like the Strategic Housing Implementation Plan, this approach can evolve.”
The online Housing Services portal will allow several locations, such as libraries, community centers, the front desk of a nonprofit or homeless shelter, to become a one-stop shop.
SACRD will be offering free trainings for anyone who wants to learn how to use the website efficiently. Interested participants can email info@SACRD.org.
Ultimately, SACRD aims to spread awareness of the tool so that anyone in need, the “end users,” know how to find a good starting point without having to schedule an appointment, said Edward Gonzales, a member of SACRD’s board and executive director of Towne Twin Village, which houses chronically homeless older adults.
“Most of the unhoused population has access to a phone,” Gonzales said. “The great thing about [SACRD] is that it’s useful for everyone … with a click of a button or a couple of keywords, you’re able to identify specifically what what you’re looking for.”
