SAN ANTONIO – A local nonprofit is expanding to better serve the needs of young people experiencing homelessness.
Thrive Youth Center is expanding its emergency shelter capacity in San Antonio, increasing the number of beds available to LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness as demand continues to rise across Texas.
Effective March 23, 2026, Thrive Youth Center will increase its emergency shelter bed capacity from 16 to 20 beds, a 25% increase.
Thrive says it is the only LGBTQ+-specific young adult emergency shelter in Bexar County, serving people ages 18 to 24.
The organization said the expansion will create an additional 1,460 nights of safe and affirming shelter each year for LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness in San Antonio.
Thrive also said its shelter operates at full capacity year-round and has an average waitlist of seven to 10 youth seeking emergency shelter each night.
Every day we see young people arrive at our doorsteps carrying fear, exhaustion, and the weight of being rejected because of who they are,” said Maddie Mendez, shelter operations manager at Thrive Youth Center. “We’ve seen a significant increase in people reaching out to us for shelter. As blessed as we’ve been for having the largest capacity for LGBTQ+ youth, being able to provide four additional beds means four more young people won’t have to worry about sleeping outside, in unsafe situations, or in places where their identity isn’t respected. This expansion gives us more room to say ‘yes’ when a young person needs us most.
Thrive said many youth seeking shelter report family rejection, discrimination, and barriers to accessing basic resources as contributing factors to homelessness and housing insecurity, and that those conditions “have only gotten more intense for LGBTQ+ youth across the state in the current political climate.”
In its annual report for 2024-2025, Thrive said 86% of youth housed in its emergency shelter did not return to homelessness after leaving the program.
Thrive said most clients reported increased income, educational enrollment, and connection to community resources as contributing factors to their success after exiting the program.
“This expansion is not just about the beds, it’s about expanding safety and possibilities for young people who deserve better than the harmful rhetoric they face daily,” said Leo Castillo-Anguiano, outreach and advocacy manager at Thrive Youth Center. “There has always been a need, and it is growing exponentially, and our community needs to understand that safe emergency shelter for LGBTQ+ youth is not optional; it’s necessary.”
In addition to emergency shelter, Thrive Youth Center offers individualized case management, mental health support, life skills development, and access to resources such as health care, identification documents, and job readiness training.
The organization said that since opening in 2015, it has served 1,069 youth.
Thrive Youth Center is a registered 501(c)(3) organization focused on providing LGBTQ+ young adults experiencing homelessness with a safe and supportive environment.