SAN ANTONIO — One year later and Haven for Hope’s Young Adult program has assisted more than 200 people of which almost 40 individuals are now living in places of their own.
The need for a specialized program was prompted by a rising number of young people experiencing homelessness, according to David Huete, Haven for Hope vice president of Transformational Services.
“On occasion they’d come into our system, they’d come into our courtyard, our transformational campus. But they wouldn’t stay very long, they wouldn’t engage and we wouldn’t see good housing outcomes for them,” Huete said.
But ever since the program’s launch in August 2023, Haven for Hope has witnessed an increase in unhoused young people moving into housing with the aid of community partners.
“Whatever their housing goal is, whatever their employment goal is, whether it’s an educational goal, we want to provide that wraparound service,” Huete said. “We’re really lucky to have such great partners in the community on the Haven campus like SAMMinistries, like Thrive Youth Center that help us with housing options for young adults.”
Cody Mitchell, 23, left his grandparent’s house and avoided living on the streets. Instead, he visited Haven for Hope for assistance seven months ago, where he’s been ever since. Mitchell is among those receiving a variety of services as part of the Young Adult program, aimed at assisting those ages 18-24.
“Continued to talk to a case manager and got my way through the Courtyard all the way to the Young Adult program, and as I’ve arrived here, it’s been significantly better for me,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell aspires to work in the warehouse industry one day as he also looks forward to picking up the keys to his own apartment in the coming weeks or months.
“Could you imagine such freedom, it would be wonderful. Not that I don’t have freedom here but it would be wonderful to have my own place,” Mitchell said. “Just getting on your own two feet and being able to start off your life the proper way, this is a wonderful way to start.”