SAN ANTONIO – The city took its first major step toward launching a Diversion Center pilot program Wednesday, approving up to $638,370 in funding aimed at steering some people away from the criminal justice system and into treatment.
The San Antonio City Council approved the funding on Sept. 10, 2026, for what the city is calling its first-ever Diversion Center pilot program. The pilot is designed to centralize coordination and services for the city, Bexar County and surrounding area partners, and is intended as the first step toward establishing a full Diversion Center with an emphasis on a continuum of care and aftercare support.
District 5 Councilmember Teri Castillo, who introduced a Council Consideration request last October to convene a City-County Ad Hoc Committee for a Diversion & Recovery Center, called the vote overdue.
“This pilot is long overdue in our community, and I want to thank all of our partners for the work they’ve done to bring us to this point,” Castillo said. “I am proud to be part of a systemic approach to reforming a systemic issue. There is still work ahead to build a centralized program in San Antonio that meets the needs of our constituents caught in the cycle of homelessness and recidivism.”
As proposed, the pilot would launch in January 2027 at the Center for Healthcare Services Josephine Recovery Center. The 15-bed facility would accept referrals from the Central and St. Mary’s San Antonio Police Department substations, with the goal of diverting people facing nonviolent, low-level offenses — including criminal trespassing — away from the criminal justice system and into treatment.
The proposed pilot is expected to run for six months, with the Southwest Texas Regional Advisory Council serving as the main convenor of the pilot.