Do you need help with settling a small estate in Bexar County?

Walk-in assistance is available to qualifying applicants. Click here for a calendar of upcoming Small Estate Clinics.

Applicants are encouraged to bring all relevant documents, including the:

• Decedent's death certificate
• Evidence of decedent's assets
• Evidence of decedent's debts
• Any previously filed SEAs
• Any responses from the court regarding previously filed SEAs

Volunteer attorneys offer advice on Small Estate Affidavits for estates under $75,000 and various deed and county records issues.

The Small Estate Help Desk provides free legal assistance for low-income individuals at the Bexar County Courthouse at 100 Dolorosa St., San Antonio, Texas 78205, Room 1.15, every other Thursday from 1:00-3:30 PM. 

Operating on a first-come, first-served basis with income qualifications, the service helps clients determine the best approach for their situation and can address questions about property transfers and fraudulent deed or lien issues. The Bexar County Clerk’s Office is on-site to accept ready documents. 

Check our Public Calendar for upcoming dates.

Mediation programs for landlord/tenant disputes such as eviction, nonpayment, maintenance issues, etc.

Mediation is a structured process in which an impartial person, the mediator, facilitates communication between the parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or an understanding between them. If the parties reach a mutually acceptable understanding, the mediator guides them in developing a written agreement.

The Center provides mediation services on a wide variety of issues and types of disputes, for example:

• Animal nuisance
• Auto repair
• Child visitation
• Consumer/Merchant disputes
• Family matters
• Landlord/Tenant disputes
• Non-payment of money owed
  Neighbor disputes
• Property damage
• Real estate disputes
• Unsatisfactory services
• Workplace issues

The City of San Antonio proudly partners with Texas RioGrande Legal Aid (TRLA) to offer legal aid services to households with low incomes who are experiencing eviction or other housing issues that threaten their housing status.

If you have received a notice to appear in Court or have a judgement against you, please contact the Right to Counsel (RTC) program immediately.

Apply for the City of San Antonio’s Right to Counsel Program:

• Free Legal Aid for those experiencing housing issues who income qualify.
• Attorney services are available on request for those in need, call 210-212-3703.
• Complete the Pre-Screen Intake Form here and email it to [email protected].

Thrive has two street outreach workers who provide services to homeless young adults who live on the streets. We provide survival backpacks which include hygiene items, first aid items, socks, snacks, water, and resource guides that highlight services throughout Bexar County. Our main objective is to try to get these young adults off the streets and into shelters, whether it be Thrive or another program.

Must be homeless young adults located in San Antonio/Bexar County.

Our 9-month Discipleship Program is a transformative journey of healing and restoration for individuals battling with substance dependency.

We understand the challenges that come with addiction, and our program is designed to provide a safe and supportive environment for individuals seeking freedom from the chains of dependency.

Click here to learn more about the program

Someone battling with substance dependency

The Rapid Re-Housing program reduces the amount of time a family experiences homelessness and rapidly re-houses families into permanent, affordable homes. Financial assistance is provided for up to 3 months along with 12 months of case management.

Rapid Re-Housing Program provides:

• Assistance with deposit, rent, and utilities for up to 3 months
• Case management with emphasis on budgeting and maintaining self-sufficiency for 12 months

Individuals and families are housed in apartments they select. (The apartment must meet HUD habitability standards and be within fair-market rent/rent reasonableness guidelines based upon household size.

SAMMinistries’ Rapid Re-housing program is partially funded by the City of San Antonio. We are grateful for their ongoing partnership.

The individual or family:

• must be "literally homeless" by HUD definition (living in an emergency shelter, on the street, or in a place not meant for habitation).
• Can be a family, couple, or individual
• Must be willing to work with case manager for 12 months
• Must have sustainable income with 60 days

NEED HELP?

CONTACT:
210-321-5610

None

The HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program for homeless veterans combines Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) rental assistance with case management and clinical services provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) at VA medical centers and community-based outreach clinics.

Homeless veterans are screened by the VA and then referred to HABC.

To start the referral process, please call (210)-616-9915.

You can also visit them at the Bluff Creek Building at 4201 Medical Dr. Suite 280, San Antonio, TX 78229.

Homeless veterans only.

SALSA is at Haven for Hope, every Wednesday from 2–4PM, to assist qualifying applicants with housing and tenants’ rights legal issues, including evictions and eviction appeals, disability accommodations, lockouts, repairs, security deposits, utilities, and expunctions.

No appointment is needed to speak with a SALSA attorney at the Haven for Hope Legal Assistance Clinic. You do not have to be a Haven for Hope client. Individuals will be assisted on a first come, first served basis; no appointment necessary.

Clinic is located at the Haven for Hope Community Center (John L. Santikos Welcome Center).

For all matters, please bring documents related to your legal issue. Originals are not necessary.

Haven for Hope has a strict “no children policy” on the part of the campus where our offices are located. Please plan for your little ones prior to attending SALSA’s walk-in legal clinic.

If you are seeking legal assistance regarding an expunction, and the offense(s) occurred in Bexar County, please obtain a copy of your criminal history from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. For more information on how to get a copy of your criminal history, please visit the Bexar County Sheriff’s Website.

Income qualifications apply. 

See Map here for parking and directions to SALSA’s offices at Haven for Hope.

Free

If you are facing an eviction and want to speak with someone, click here or call or email the Neighborhood & Housing Services Division's Eviction Help Desk.

Click here to learn more about the eviction process and to obtain additional resources.

U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Certified housing counselors are trained to resolve disputes between residential tenants and landlords - free of charge.

Counselors can assist with the following:

• code violations
• evictions
• lease disputes
• occupancy standards
• provide clarification on legal rights and obligations
• repairs
• security deposits
• utilities billing and termination
• other related issues

The Certified Housing Counselors are not attorneys and do not provide legal advice.

Free

Provides housing case management as well as rent and utility assistance for up to 12 months for qualifying individuals.

To qualify for this program, you must:

• or individuals with an active LOCA 1-5
• be a current adult mental health consumer with The Center for Health Care Services Outpatient Clinics;
• have verifiable income;
• have a valid government-issued ID, birth certificate, and Social Security card;
• meet HUD homeless definition: having a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or campground.

Provides housing assistance to individuals who are homeless, at imminent risk of becoming homeless, or those entering or exiting an institutional setting through SAHA Section 8 Division.

Provides housing assistance to individuals who are homeless, at imminent risk of becoming homeless, or entering or exiting an institutional setting through the HABC Section 8 Division.

The Center helps people who are experiencing chronic homeless and actively receiving outpatient treatment in our programs obtain a permanent Section 8 voucher with the San Antonio Housing Authority (SAHA).

If you are experiencing homelessness, the PATH outreach team can connect you to:

• health care
• income support
• legal services
• mental health treatment
• rehabilitation training in social skills
• social services
• substance use treatment
• ID recovery
• referrals for affordable housing and employment

The PATH Program serves people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness and serious mental illness.

The Center administers up to two years of rental assistance to applicants actively receiving treatment in CHCS programs and needing rental assistance.

TBRA is a contract funded by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA).

To take advantage of the Supported Housing Programs you must meet these qualifications:

• be a current adult mental health consumer with The Center for Health Care Services Outpatient Clinics. (CHCS offers services for mental health disorders and substance use challenges.)
• have verifiable income
• be verifiably homeless by HUD definition (an individual or family with a primary nighttime residence that is a public or private place not designed for or ordinarily used as a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings, including a car, park, abandoned building, bus or train station, airport, or campground)
• have a valid government-issued I.D., birth certificate, and Social Security card

Provides a supported, sober living dorm environment for men and women on the Haven for Hope campus. 

Our Pay it Forward Dorms Program recovery dorms then provides a safe and accountable environment for them to continue working on their recovery from addiction, practice the tools learned in rehab, and better prepare for their transition back into the community.

Members in the Pay it Forward Dorms Program live in a dorm environment for up to one year. The people served work towards a 12 step program and are focused on mainting their sobriety. During the twelve months they will heal and learn to create more meaningful lives in an effort to become productive members of society.

Dorm Program members are seen as campus leaders, encouraging and lifting up others in recovery.

These dorms have beds for 46 men and 12 women.

This program is exclusively for the residents of Bexar county, who have experienced or are at-risk of homelessness, and are receiving services at Haven for Hope.

Additional eligibility criteria include:

• having a sponsor
• attending recovery-related meetings
• members who have excelled and graduated from a substance use treatment program.
• being employed or actively looking for work
• submitting to random substance use screening
• adherence to an absolute zero-tolerance substance use policy

Members of the Pay it Forward Dorms Program pay low monthly program fees.

Click here for more information.

We provide assistance to men and women who are coming out of drug or alcohol rehab, or incarceration, and need to transition to a place which is sober, safe, and clean. The Bridge provides a long-term living environment to help prevent relapse and reduce the likelihood of becoming homeless.

We provide emergency housing assistance by paying the security deposit and first two weeks of rent for entry into an approved sober living home, as well as grocery gift cards and bus passes whenever possible to remove barriers to getting employed.

We also provide referral assistance to other collaborating agencies that help the client with job search assistance and work-appropriate clothing.

Our programs have strict eligibility criteria, including:

• having a sponsor
• attending recovery-related meetings
• being employed or actively looking for work
• submitting to random substance use screening
• adherence to an absolute zero-tolerance substance use policy

We help individuals form a plan and develop the tools they need to transition back into society. The Bridge Program has helped nearly 5000 people enter sober living with over 1.1 million in awareded funds.

Reduced.

Homelink is San Antonio and Bexar County’s local Coordinated Entry System – a uniform, community-wide approach to connect people who are literally homeless or at imminent risk of homelessness to housing resources.

If You are currently experiencing homelessness or are at risk of becoming homeless, Homelink can help by assessing your situation and connecting you with the most appropriate housing resource. Your first step is to connect to Homelink. You can connect to Homelink through an access point, street outreach, or emergency shelter. Next, a Homelink enrollment or assessment is initiated by walking into or calling any of the access points during designated times. 

It is important to note that Homelink matches you with an
appropriate housing solution based off of need, availability, & prioritization to meet the needs of the most vulnerable first.

This Homelink Access Point serves young adults 18-24.

After enrolling with Homelink, if your need is not met by an immediate referral, you must maintain your eligibility every 30 days. This will be explained further during your Homelink assessment.

This is an in-person Homelink physical access point located at the YASS Center.

You can contact the Homeless Connections Hotline at
(210) 207-1799 if you or someone you know is at risk of being or is currently homeless.

For more further instructions and info on Homelink Access Point click here.

No fees required.

This program provides one-time emergency financial assistance to prevent homelessness or utility disconnection, as well as financial coaching and budgeting assessment for income-eligible individuals and families.

An eviction notice and/or a utility disconnection notice are required.

Thousands of unaccompanied children cross the border to the United States from Central America each year and are transferred to the custody of ORR. ORR promptly places these children in the least restrictive setting in the best interest of the child. St. PJ's is an approved ORR shelter.

The majority of unaccompanied children are between 13 and 17 years of age; a larger proportion are boys. This group is very diverse: it also includes pregnant girls and a growing proportion of elementary school-age children. In U.S. procedural documents, these children are referred to as “unaccompanied alien children".

Licensed short-term emergency shelter providing services for up to 82 international children and youth ages 5 to 17. International children who reside at St. PJ's are provided care in compliance with all regulatory agencies.

St. PJ's also provides temporary foster care homes for international children ages 0 to 12.

Free if you meet the criteria

If you have no place to call home or are on the verge of crisis, we want to help.

Our program provides a safe place for you to call home: 

Learning happens best when you and your family feel safe and settled at home. Our housing and education programs provide subsidized, transitional housing for you and your children.

Women/single mothers and their children can stay for up to two years, giving families the time and support they need to pursue an education, find permanent housing, and achieve financial independence.

Our housing includes:

• A safe space for you and your family
• After-school care to help your children thrive
• A supportive community that celebrates together.

Women in our programs have:

• Completed their GED
• Finished a college degree
• Watched their children thrive in a caring after-school program
• Found themselves earning a living wage
• Become self-sustaining
• Provided their family with a better future

The Visitation House Learning Center: Our community learning center is open to other women who want to take the next steps to improve their education.

Eligibility requirements:

• Single mother, at least 21 years old with children between the ages of 4-12
• Experienced homelessness or at risk
• Sober for at least a year
• Desire, interest, and ability to further their education and maintain employment

SALSA assists qualifying applicants with eviction-related matters, including eviction appeals and negotiating with your landlord.

Appealing an eviction judgment can buy you more time to stay on the property while you find a new residence.

No appointment is needed, but priority is given to applicants who have already received an eviction judgment, are filing an eviction appeal, or have an eviction hearing that day.

You can find SALSA inside the JP1 building on the right, as you enter, just past security.

Please bring the following documents:

• Notice(s) to vacate (This is the 3-day notice that you receive from the landlord);
• Eviction citation (the document you receive from the constable);
• Your current lease;
• Any other documents you think SALSA should review, such as rent ledgers, deeds, emails/texts, etc.

(Note: We cannot always review every document or take custody of originals.)

Must live in Bexar County’s Precinct 1. (Click here to find your Bexar County Precinct.)

If you live in Bexar County’s Precinct 1, have been served with an eviction citation, and would like to speak with a SALSA attorney before your hearing, please come to our walk-in housing legal clinic at Haven for Hope on Wednesdays from 2–4PM.

If you would like to speak with a SALSA attorney on the same day as your hearing, we will do our best to assist qualifying applicants seeking legal advice. For same day advice, please come to the JP1 Eviction Appeal Help Desk on Thursday (8AM–5PM) at least 1 hour before your scheduled hearing.

If you do not live in Precinct 1 and would like legal assistance before your hearing, you can call St. Mary’s University School of Law, Center for Legal and Social Justice (CLSJ) Housing Hotline at (210) 570-6135.

For more information or to explore self-help resources & services visit us here.

Free

Permanent Supportive Housing assists and empowers families to live as independently as possible. SAMMinistries has a permanent housing program that assists families with whom one member of the family has a disability. SAMMinistries also manages 100 set-aside housing vouchers to help families find permanent housing in the private rental market.

Case managers work with adult participants to achieve the following goals:

• Remain in (or exit to) permanent housing
• Increase skills and/or income
• Achieve greater self-determination
• Achieve financial stability (reduce debt)

The individual or family:

• must be "literally homeless" by HUD definition (living in an emergency shelter, on the street, or in a place not meant for habitation), or fleeing domestic violence.
• in some cases must be "chronically homeless" by HUD definition (a single person or head of household with a disabling condition who has either experienced homelessness for longer than a year, during which time the individual may have lived in a shelter, Safe Haven, or a place not meant for human habitation; or experienced homelessness four or more times in the last three years).
• must be referred by the community's Coordinated Entry system. Call (210) 207-1799 to get that started.

For some projects, client pays 30% of their income toward rent, however, no income is required.

The Veterans’ Housing Stability Program (VHSP) provides comprehensive housing support to veterans or surviving spouses through homeless prevention, rapid re-housing and wrap-around services.

The Homeless Prevention Program provides:

• Rental assistance
• Case management
• Financial literacy education

The Rapid Re-Housing Program provides:

• Assistance with the rental security deposit and utility connection
• Up to 3 months rent assistance
• Case management
• Modest furniture allowance
• Financial literacy education

Wrap-Around Client Services include:

• Bus passes
• Referrals for life skills classes such as parenting, conflict resolution, and wellness
• Referrals to SAMMinistries’ educational and employment services
• Other veteran-specific referrals as well as referrals to appropriate service providers in the community

This program is supported by a grant from the Texas Veterans Commission Fund for Veterans’ Assistance. The Fund for Veterans’ Assistance provides grants to organizations serving veterans and their families. For more information, visit TVC.Texas.gov.

Eligibility requirements:

• Must be a veteran or the surviving spouse with an honorable discharge status from the U.S. Armed Services (DD214 required).
• Must be at imminent risk of being homeless.
• Must have sustainable income.

For additional assistance offered to Veterans, please click here and scroll down to "Veterans Assistance."

If you'd like to donate to the Veterans' Housing Housing Program please visit here.

No fee to join the program, just must meet the qualifications

Our expertise lies in aging-in-place consultancy, where we help older adults and their families plan for the future with intention. Our services include comprehensive home evaluations to address mobility and accessibility challenges, ensuring safety and comfort. Addiontally, we offer trailored consultations and support with rightsizing and relocation, faciliting a seamless transition to living spaces that align with evolving needs. 

We will seek out and encourage the Involvement, Engagement, and Patronage of the local San Antonio “Military City USA” Community, while also fostering a sense of Patriotism, Support, and Integration in providing the highest quality of Veterans Outreach, Interventions, Career and Educational Services for “ALL” our Veterans.

The V.O.I.C.E.S. of our Veterans will continue to “Break The Silence!”TM, as it relates to the Veterans Suicide Epidemic, or as we have coined the phrase and named it; “The Silent War!”

Click here for a full list of services

Free

Our Emergency Children's Shelter provides safety for children who are removed from their homes. Our shelter provides the foundation for healing from abuse and neglect.

We see children at the lowest point in their young lives.  They are removed from the only home they have known; they are confused, sad, angry, and unsure of where they are going. At Boysville’s Emergency Children’s Shelter, children are welcomed into a home-like setting with a large common room and dining room, semi-private bedrooms, and bath and recreational areas.  

Most children arrive only with the clothing they are wearing. Upon arrival, each child receives new clothing and shoes. The emergency children’s shelter provides around-the-clock-awake staff for maximum safety and support. Children living in the shelter will attend a school in the Judson Independent School District unless otherwise directed by the court system. In some cases, children will remain at the school they attended before being placed at Boysville to reduce the number of school disruptions.

Boysville’s Emergency Shelter is known for accepting large sibling groups so they may stay together in times of stress.

Lovelace Emergency Cottage cares for infants and toddlers.

Ellison Emergency Cottage cares for children and teens, 5-17.

Click here for more information.

For placement into the shelter, the following is required:

• Birth certificate
• Social Security card
• Immunization record
• Withdrawal forms from school
• Documents pertaining to custody or guardianship

Our Program: Fast Track to Life Outside-

Let us help you get back on track!

ABOUT US
TLT HOPE is introducing our newly design program to help meet your needs and help you transition smoothly from incarceration back to society.

Our Mission Statement
Transform the lives of ex-offenders, decrease the recidivism rate by affording life changing opportunities to those who want to stay on track, succeed in life and better contribute to society.

TLT HOPE will help you transition back to society within 30 to 120 days.

We will provide temporary housing, transportation to public offices to help you secure food stamps, necessary identification for employment and driving, a pre-employment assessment, a 3-day pre-employment workshop, job leads to 2nd chance employers ready to hire as soon as the next day, referrals to business professionals who can assist you in finding long-term housing, purchasing a vehicle, obtaining health insurance, arranging substance and alcohol abuse counseling, and opening a bank account.

Our program TLT H.O.P.E. will provide transportation for you to meet your parole officer, and, on the days, you must report you must catch the bus. 
TLT H.O.P.E. will provide transportation to the bus stop for you to go to work if you don’t already have a vehicle. Your job will need to be on a bus route.

The 3-Day Workshop("The Pre-Employment Needs Assessment") will include the following classes: Budgeting, Entrepreneurship, Resume Writing, How to Dress for Success, Interview Practice, Work Skill Essentials, Caring for yourself Spiritually, Finding a Good Home, Purchasing a Vehicle, and Goal Setting.

After the 3-day Pre-employment Workshop, inprocessing, and with the approval of your parole officer, you can begin paid employment in a day-shift position.

We do accept those with GPS monitors.

Note: Our program cannot serve individuals with sex offense convictions, or those with mental health disorders, due to insurance requirements.

How we started...
Ministering to the formerly incarcerated was conceived in the heart of our Founder, John E. Mickel, Jr. After serving and driving hundreds of miles with the New Creation Christian Fellowship Prison Ministry team, he was troubled that there was not anything to keep men and women from returning to prison. The Lord begin to trouble him about doing something about it. He came up with a plan he and his wife, typed it out and presented it to his leaders and they blessed it. After this, he began to gather like-minded team members to help carry this plan out.

On March 26, 2013, John and Tiffany Mickel, founded Transforming Lives Through H.O.P.E. in their home. Founding members include Pearl Conyers, Carol Lee, Gayle King, Joe Howard, Edwin Gorham and Arthur Sanderson. From this gathering, the TLT H.O.P.E. team emerged and organized a successful outreach program for the formerly incarcerated.

Requirements:

*** SPECIAL NOTE***   We are not state funded.

We will not validate your acceptance with parole without the fees being paid.  (This rule is due to a few taking advantage and failure to pay after we deliver on services). 

• Positive attitude to change for the better.
• You can only be employed on day shifts through suggested local felon friendly agencies which pays $700-900 weekly. After you move out then you can switch to a different job.
• We will only provide transportation to and from bus stop for employment.
• You will be required to save 40% of your income to help you meet the goal of self-sufficiency.
• You will be randomly drug and alcohol tested to keep our campus drug and alcohol free.
• You will undergo search of your belongings going in and out of our dorms when you get off of work.
• No sleeping all day on off days. Follow posted schedule.
• Non-prescription medications not allowed unless approved by staff.

After you have reached your goals, you can live where you want to live when you have your own house and transportation. We are here to help you meet your goals so that you don’t follow the same cycles that placed you in jail.

COVID 19 Vaccination Strongly Encouraged to keep everyone safe. Those who don’t have the vaccine will be required to wear their mask and get tested frequently.

You will need a completed medical examination.  Please bring this with you from prison.

Our program can’t service individuals with sex offense convictions due to zoning.

Click here to learn how to apply.

Click here to find our application.

Click here to contact our Admission Coordinator.

You must pay $50 non-refundable start-up fee and 1 month residential fee of $750 before you will receive an acceptance letter from us once we let you know that we will accept you. If you don’t have the funds, seek a sponsor or save the $100 stipend that you are given in prison each month.

First Footing program offers people experiencing homelessness a safe place to stay. Individuals undergo an interview process and if accepted, have 24 hour staff support. 

The program model is built to come alongside adults on their journey out of homelessness and into a safe, stable home with mental and physical health care, employability skills training, budgeting education, and housing navigation. 

First Footing program offers: 

• ID recovery
• Addition recovery
• Employment assistance 
• Transportation
• Case management

First Footing serves primarily longtime residents of New Braunfels however, each individual is taken case by case.

Free of charge.