About Our Shelter

Our shelter is located directly behind our offices at 518 S. Guadalupe Street in San Marcos. There are 6 rooms with beds in each, with community-style bathrooms at the end of the hall. There is a comfortable living room, laundry room, kitchen, and dining room. The house will provide internet access for our residents to utilize.

We serve a healthy dinner every night at 4 p.m. to anyone needing a meal. No one under the influence of alcohol or drugs will be allowed on the premises, and we do not hesitate to ban anybody showing signs of extreme aggression or violent tendencies. Only service animals will be given admission to our shelter and clients must have the proper documentation. People using any facilities at the shelter are required to obey the rules posted at the shelter.

New Life Program

Southside Community Center is transitioning from an emergency shelter to a New Life Program that aims to get people back on their feet, and is searching for clients who are proactively working towards independent living. Once a shelter room opens up, we sift through applications and search for the candidates who would be the best fit for our program. Once accepted into the program, clients must pass drug and alcohol screening and sign a contract for a 30-day stay that is dependent on their cooperation with our staff and rules. During this period clients are required to look for work and save money. We allow for a total of 3 months at the shelter, which we have found is sufficient time to save enough money to find a home.

Our objective is to make a difference and not provide a Band-Aid to a bigger problem in our community. The homeless population is growing in San Marcos and we are adapting to bring a much-needed solution to the rising lack of affordable housing in the city of San Marcos.

If you are looking to get into the shelter, the application is listed below. If you are faxing or emailing this application, we recommend calling in advance so that we can file it properly.