SA 2020

In January, we announced that SA2020, the nonprofit, is dissolving. (You can read more about the decision on our blog: SA2020.org/stories/sa2020-announces-dissolution) March 28 is our last day of operations. We're keeping our social media pages online as an archive, but this page is no longer managed. That means we won't be able to reply to comments, and our messages are turned off.

SA2020.org will remain online through September. You can find the newest community data, download our recent reports, and read our complete archive of stories and research. If there are any resources you'd like to access after September, please download them.

Thank you for supporting and following SA2020 over the past twelve years.

In case you missed it: SA2020, the nonprofit, is dissolving. You can read much more about the decision on our blog: sa2020.org/stories/sa2020-announces-dissolution

Our operations (including our social media accounts) will end March 28, but SA2020.org will remain online through September. You can continue to access and save the community data, along with twelve years worth of SA2020's stories and research.

SA2020 | SA2020 Announces Dissolution | SA2020 SA2020 has long celebrated that we have a unique bird’s-eye view of San Antonio, given the community data we have released every year since 2012 and the valuable information more than 100 partner organizations share with us. Knowing that this vantage point is precious compels us to speak truth to ...

The community data (sa2020.org/indicator/affordable-housing) shows that the number of people burdened by housing costs continues to climb, and renters are disproportionately affected. Our City Council Profiles (sa2020.org/city-council-profiles) show where in the city folks are more likely to be burdened by rent or home ownership.

As housing costs rise, San Antonio must prioritize affordability—like the first bond proposition for affordable housing approved by voters in 2022—and jobs that pay a living wage.

Over half of S.A.-area renters spend too much of their income on rent A new report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies shows many renters in San Antonio and other Texas metros are cost-burdened.

Last week, we made an announcement: SA2020, the nonprofit, is dissolving. You can read more about the decision on our blog:
sa2020.org/stories/sa2020-announces-dissolution

Though we're dissolving, we released a final community data update to draw attention to where San Antonio stands on reaching the shared community vision—and where targeted interventions are necessary. This update includes data disaggregated by race, gender, and age where available and is complemented with research about what the data shows and which policies may be influencing the trajectory of an indicator. Explore the data online now at sa2020.org/data.

SA2020, the nonprofit, is dissolving. We believe it’s the most visionary thing we can do. This decision, made with intentionality and transparency, reflects the cumulative lessons learned from more than a decade of work and shows how we as an organization practice our values. You can read (much) more on our blog: sa2020.org/stories/sa2020-announces-dissolution

San Antonio’s shared community vision, co-created by tens of thousands of people, explicitly names global connection as significant to our collective well-being. Working toward a visionary future requires recognizing the humanity of people suffering, critically examining the structures of power that cause that suffering, and taking responsibility to enact change.

Every level of government in the U.S., including the City of San Antonio, is enabling Israel’s occupation of Palestine through policies, billions of dollars in military assistance, delegation trips, and rhetoric. We demand that our representatives take immediate action to end the genocide.

We join the global movement in urgently calling for a ceasefire and unlimited humanitarian aid. We mourn the devastating loss of lives that increases every day, and we stand in solidarity with Palestinians in calling for an end to apartheid. Our collective well-being relies on it.

There is no visionary future in San Antonio, Texas without a free Palestine.

It's Election Day, San Antonio! On the ballot: 14 proposed amendments to the Texas constitution, San Antonio River Authority board seats, and some local municipality and ISD positions.

Learn more: ILoveSanAntonio.org
Find a polling place: Bexar.org/Elections
Get a ride to the polls: VIA Metropolitan Transit

With tuition and fees covered by its new Alamo Promise program, The Alamo Colleges District is seeing record enrollment, even while community college enrollment has slowed across the rest of the country. UTSA - The University of Texas at San Antonio and Texas A&M University-San Antonio have also launched similar programs, allowing more and more students in our community access to higher education.

San Antonio colleges, universities see record enrollment Programs that offer free tuition and a slew of new programs are attracting students to various schools, bucking national trends.

This new research from Texas Housers shows that evictions in San Antonio are on the rise, and neighborhoods with lower-income households are experiencing particularly high rates. This data further contextualizes the affordable housing crisis in our community (SA2020.org/indicator/affordable-housing) and highlights who is most likely to be affected by it.

Explore the data and learn more: texashousers.org/bexarcountyevictions

Texas Housers’ new Bexar County Eviction Case Dashboard explores rising evictions in San Antonio - Texas Housers Created by Mia Loseff and Erin Hahn Texas Housers has officially launched our Bexar County Eviction Case dashboard, which tracks evictions filed in Bexar County over the course of recent years. Similar to online eviction trackers that currently exist for other Texas cities, this dashboard is the fir...

Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014, San Antonio saw a marked increase in health insurance coverage (SA2020.org/indicator/health-care-access). In recent years, that number has fallen and remained relatively flat. Additionally, while national protections prevented states from unenrolling people from Medicaid amid the COVID-19 crisis, those protections were lifted earlier this year and hundreds of thousands of Texans have since lost coverage.

Open enrollment in ACA health insurance begins today and runs through January 15. Learn more and explore your options at Healthcare.gov, or get help enrolling via EnrollSA.

What's on the ballot in this year's Texas constitutional amendment election? There are 14 propositions—changes to the state's constitution proposed by the Texas legislature—that ask for voter approval. Several propositions deal with the allocation of state funding, including a cost-of-living adjustment for retired teachers and the establishment of funds to strengthen the power grid, purchase new state park land, and expand broadband access.

Early voting is happening now through this Friday, November 3 and Election Day is Tuesday, November 7. Learn more about the election at ILoveSanAntonio.org, SA2020's one-stop voting resource.

Internet connectivity is critical to health, education, voting, work, and more—but access isn't equal throughout San Antonio. The percentage of households with a broadband connection varies by City Council District, and the districts with the least connectivity were historically redlined from the 1930s - 1960s.

Broadband access is on the ballot in this year's Texas constitutional amendment election: Proposition 8 asks for voter approval to create a broadband infrastructure fund and allocate $1.5 billion to expanding access throughout the state. Learn more about the election and voting at ILoveSanAntonio.org.

Time to vote, San Antonio. 🗳 There are 14 propositions on the ballot in the Texas constitutional amendment election—including funding for retired teachers' benefits, broadband access, and new state park land. Plus, San Antonio River Authority and some local municipalities and ISDs are hosting elections.

Learn more at ILoveSanAntonio.org and vote early now through November 3.

We're so excited to hear from Kiran, our Executive Director, at PechaKucha San Antonio next week. She'll join six other San Antonians in sharing a presentation of 20 slides x 20 seconds. (Fitting for the leader of SA2020.) Happening Wednesday, October 25 at the Empire Theatre.

PechaKucha Volume 43 presents: Kiran Kaur Bains, Visionary. Kiran is the Executive Director of SA2020, a nonprofit that drives progress toward a shared community vision for San Antonio. She is a Senior Atlantic Fellow for Racial Equity with Columbia University and the Nelson Mandela Foundation. A lover of flowers and vintage vases, her favorite blooms to arrange are amaranths.

Join us for Vol. 43, our last event of the year at the Empire on Oct. 25! Happy hour kicks off at 6:30 with presentations starting at 7:30. Link in bio for tickets.

While college enrollment has stayed relatively flat over recent years (sa2020.org/indicator/college-enrollment), local Promise programs that cover tuition seem to be having a big impact. UTSA - The University of Texas at San Antonio's freshman class is its largest ever, and half of the students are from Bexar County. 🎓

UTSA enrolls largest freshman class ever First-year student enrollment is up 3% compared with last fall, with nearly 6,000...

Creating a better future requires us to understand our past. Today we honor Indigenous Peoples' Day and the many people who have shaped so much of San Antonio's history.

Photo by Vanessa Velazquez Photography of PanterAzul, a mosaic sculpture by Oscar Alvarado at Yanaguana Gardens

We know that institutions can better serve folks when those very people share their lived experiences and help inform decision-making. VIA Metropolitan Transit is looking for community members to join its new Council to Keep SA Moving. If you're interested in helping to shape public transit and connectivity in San Antonio, apply now: KeepSAmoving.com/community 🚌

The VIA Board of Trustees has launched the Council to Keep San Antonio Moving! 🎉 Passionate about transit advocacy, informed decision-making, and community engagement? We're looking for community ambassadors like you. Apply now! KeepSAmoving.com/community

San Antonio: We've got a constitutional amendment election next month! 🗳 This election seeks voter approval to make changes to the Texas constitution, including creating funds to expand broadband access, purchase new park land, support projects to shore up the power grid, and more.

First things first—make sure you're registered. The deadline to register for this election is Tuesday, October 10. Check your registration or get the application at bit.ly/texasregister. (Remember that in Texas you can't register online, but you can fill out the form digitally, then print it and mail it in.) Election Day is November 7, and early voting starts October 23!

San Antonio: community meetings about SAISD's proposed school closures continue this week. See the full list of upcoming meetings (including some new dates) at saisd.net/page/study_sb_capacity_calendar.

We will hold four meetings on the district's rightsizing initial recommendations this week. Please join us and share your feedback. A light meal and child care will be provided at the meetings.

✅ RSVP | Confirme su asistencia: tinyurl.com/2023RightsizingRSVP

🗓 Complete Schedule | Calendario completo: https://www.saisd.net/page/study_sb_capacity_calendar

Tendremos cuatro reuniones comunitarias sobre las recomendaciones iniciales para la optimización de planteles del distrito esta semana. Acompáñenos y comparta su retroalimentación. Se proporcionará una comida ligera y cuidado de niños en las reuniones.

Civic Park at Hemisfair is now open! 🎉 You can explore it on your own or visit this weekend for Jazz'SALive. Excited for this landmark park that will foster connections to our environment, city, and one another.

From waterways to walkways: Civic Park at Hemisfair opens to public It’s a breath of fresh air for downtown San Antonio. Phase 1 of Civic Park at Hemisfair is now open to the public after months of construction. The park features a mix of waterways, walkways and green space.

San Antonio River Authority's two newest parks offer more outdoor opportunities, protect our natural environment, and celebrate our local history. ❤️🌳

Learn more about the new parks, open now: bit.ly/44ZP0XZ

2 new San Antonio parks celebrate over 400 acres of Texas nature The San Antonio River Authority is opening two new parks on Saturday, September 23, Hendrick Arnold Nature Park and Trueheart Ranch Park

Thirteen years ago, SA2020 began. On September 25, 2010, hundreds of San Antonians participated in the first public forum of the original visioning process. From all different corners of the city, they sat together at tables to share their priorities for our community and imagine what our future could be.

We're so proud that our community embarked on this ambitious project—and that we're still working together toward a better future today. As the organization charged with driving progress toward that vision (now reaffirmed for another decade), we know how valuable and powerful the community visioning process is.

Take a walk down memory lane with us, and let us know if you spot yourself in any of the photos! 📸 ⬇️

The power of individual donations is undeniable, and San Antonio proves that each year during The Big Give. When thousands of community members support local nonprofits—at $10 or $20 or $50—the result is millions of dollars raised for organizations that are doing so much good in our city.

You can donate to nonprofits participating in The Big Give through tomorrow at 6 pm. Find a list of SA2020 Nonprofit Partners—and read more about individual philanthropy—at sa2020.org/stories/celebrating-individual-philanthropy-big-give

We know backlash against community-based leaders and organizations happens when progress is being made and movement-building is successful. That's why it's so important that our organization is people-powered. Read more in a new update from our team: SA2020.org/stories/were-gonna-win

It's so exciting to see our colleges and universities continue to expand access for students. Free tuition programs, like this one at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, will go a long way in increasing college enrollment, degrees, and wages. We can't wait to see how these Promise programs move the needle on San Antonio's shared goals.

A&M-San Antonio launches free tuition program for families that make $70,000 or less A&M-San Antonio’s Jaguar Promise covers tuition, fees, and a book stipend, for Texas residents in the top 35% of their class if their family makes $70,000 or less.

We think Mayor Nirenberg put it best in March 2020 following our presentation to City Council: SA2020 is an organization unto itself, and our work helps hold institutions—like the City government—accountable to San Antonio's shared vision.

Read more in a new update from our team: SA2020.org/stories/were-gonna-win

"What SA2020 does well is make data relatable and understandable for the public. That has served the community." - San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board

San Antonio should fund SA2020 | Editorial The city of San Antonio should fund SA2020. The cost is a drop in the bucket in the...

Nicole's right—few cities have accomplished what we have. In fact, San Antonio is the only large city in the U.S. with a vision for the future developed by the community every 10 years and an independent organization dedicated to holding institutions accountable to that vision. We're incredibly proud of that and the progress it's driven over the past 10+ years.

Years later, we're still grateful for Patti Radle's leadership and guidance as a founding Board member of SA2020. And we agree with her sentiment today: an investment in our work is an investment in the community voices that created a shared vision and goals for the next decade.