San Antonio Business Journal – April 14, 2010
City and civic leaders have officially dedicated the new $100 million Haven for Hope campus in San Antonio.
After three years of construction, the 37-acre, 280,000-square-foot homeless facility is finally completed. Homeless individuals and families will start moving in later this month.
“Haven for Hope is a window on the soul of San Antonio,” says San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro. “It reflects our city’s strong sense of compassion and a belief in the power of an individual to transform himself or herself.”
Haven for Hope Chairman Bill Greehey praised the partnerships involved in making the campus a reality.
“This is one of the biggest public-private partnerships in San Antonio’s history, and it would not have been possible without the dedication, commitment and investment of countless individuals in both the public and private sectors,” Greehey says. “We are so grateful to the City of San Antonio, Bexar County and the State of Texas for dedicating funding, resources and other support. And we have been overwhelmed by the generosity of the hundreds of private donors who have helped us raise over $58 million, which puts us within $2 million of our fund-raising goal.”
SAMMinistries, one of the social service partners involved with Haven to Hope, will begin moving single men from its shelters onto the campus. About 10 men will move in each day for the first two weeks and then the numbers will ramp up after that. Women and families from other SAMMinistries shelters will begin moving onto the campus in early June. The entire campus is expected to be completely open to the public by mid-June.
“This is so important because we can’t solve the homeless crisis without everybody working together, and Haven for Hope is proof of the great things that can happen when the government and private sector work together toward a common goal,” Greehey says. “Together, we’re not just going to transform lives, we’re going to save lives.”