San Antonio (May 6, 2022) – Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. announced that it is providing the Housing First Community Coalition (HFCC) $250,000 in funding to support the Towne Twin Village project on San Antonio’s east side. Once completed, Towne Twin Village will be the first single-site Permanent Supportive Housing provider in the San Antonio community for individuals experiencing homelessness.
“The Housing First Community Coalition is doing an incredible job bringing individuals and organizations together to address homelessness in our community and Methodist Healthcare Ministries stands ready to join the movement,” said Jaime Wesolowski, President & CEO of Methodist Healthcare Ministries of South Texas, Inc. “This funding embodies our commitment to health equity by supporting initiatives that help to reduce racial and socio-economic disparities and create fair and just opportunities for every person to reach their full potential for health and life.”
In June of 2019, HFCC targeted a 17.3-acre vacant parcel of land at 4711 Dietrich Rd. Within 5 months, HFCC raised $1.2 million to acquire and rezone the property. Since then, HFCC has worked diligently to raise funds for Phase 1 development of the project, totaling over $12.3 million from government and philanthropic support. Towne Twin Village will be the first single-site Permanent Supportive Housing provider in the San Antonio community for homeless individuals. The Village will provide 205 units of safe and comfortable affordable housing combined with intensive support services tailored to the specific needs and desires of each resident.
“The homelessness situation is a can we have been kicking down the road for far too long,” said Mark Wittig, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Health First Community Coalition. “With this gift from Methodist Healthcare Ministries, we are creating a model that can serve the homeless with dignity and make a statement that something good can be done.”
Housing is an important determinant of health. Research has shown that housing stability, quality, and affordability influence health outcomes just as much as the physical and social characteristics of neighborhoods and communities.
“We know that health is more than what happens in a clinic,” added Wesolowski. “It’s determined by where people work, play, pray, and age—all of which is heavily influenced by where people live. This project is a critical piece to ensuring we expand the ways we impact healthcare to include supporting the social determinants of health and the vital community conditions that so often determine long-term well-being.”
