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Homelessness
Vision Statement
Travis County will be a community where all persons will have the opportunity
to live in safe, decent and affordable housing.
Summary
The following plan represents the hundreds of hours of effort on the
part of members of the Community Action Network (CAN) as well as those
who have participated in previous homeless task forces and planning groups.
This Plan draws from the best of prior efforts and incorporates information
based on new research and input. The goal in developing this Plan is to
create a Continuum of Care that both prevents and reduces homelessness
in Austin/Travis County.
Homelessness is an extremely complex issue that touches on every issue
addressed by the CAN Plan. There are many reasons a person becomes homeless
-- sudden loss of employment, separation from the military, divorce, major
illness, insufficient income, untreated substance abuse or mental illness,
or family violence. A Continuum of Care to prevent and reduce homelessness
must respond to the specific needs of each individual. A homeless young
adult, for example, will need very different services than a battered woman
and her children. Similarly, a homeless veteran living in the woods has
needs that differ from a person who cannot afford to pay their rent or
utilities.
This Plan will not completely eradicate homelessness, however, it is
an attempt to set realistic goals to prevent and reduce homelessness. Simply
stated, not all persons can make the transition from homelessness to full-time
employment with a living wage. Persons with severe mental illness, physical
disabilities, and other debilitating problems, may not be able to achieve
full self-sufficiency. However, the Austin/Travis County community can
provide better choices for these individuals than is currently provided.
With the addition of appropriate, individualized services, each person
will have the opportunity to achieve their maximum potential. Another benefit
to our community is that this approach will save money by reducing emergency
room visits and hospitalizations, as well as police arrests and jail time
among homeless persons.
Recommendations
The Comprehensive Plan for Addressing Homelessness is organized according
to service areas recommended by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development in the Continuum of Care for Homeless Persons. The following
is a summary of the recommendations:
- Prevention:
- Provide emergency assistance and other supports to help
stabilize people in crisis situations.
- Intake, Outreach & Assessment:
- Provide a central source of information on services and
resources available in the community to address homelessness.
- Bring services to homeless persons, through enhanced mobile
outreach.
- Emergency Shelter/Transitional Housing/Supportive Housing
- Develop additional emergency shelter so that no person in
need is turned away because of lack of space.
- Develop a homeless campus, modeled after the Orlando, Florida
model, providing shelter, housing and a full array of supportive
services on one site to help people transition out of homeless
.3
- Develop adequate transitional housing to help homeless persons
who need additional time and assistance make the transition
from homelessness to permanent housing.
- Develop adequate housing with supportive services to help homeless
persons with special needs live as productively and independently
as possible in the community.
- Permanent Affordable Housing:
- Utilize existing resources and develop new approaches to
provide affordable housing for persons at risk of homelessness and
formerly homeless
persons who are ready to live in permanent housing.
- Supportive Services:
- Develop an accessible array of services that provides homeless persons
and persons at risk of homelessness with the skills and assistance
they need to realize their maximum potential.
- Substance Abuse, Mental Health, Basic Services and Health Care:
To help people get to a level where they can work toward self-sufficiency.
- Education/Life Skills Training: To provide individuals with
the skills they need to secure employment and live independently
in the community.
- Employment: To help people secure employment that pays a living
wage.
- Child Care / Children and Youth Programs: Provide safe, nurturing
environments and services to help the children of homeless families
and homeless young
adults achieve their maximum capacity.
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Critical Conditions
A. There are an estimated 6,000 homeless persons in Travis County
B. There is a lack of emergency shelter and initial access to support services
for the literally homeless in Austin:
- In 1994, the Salvation Army family shelter operated at 120-145% capacity
and still turned away over 2,000 persons
- In 1994, HOBO turned away approximately 1,300 persons seeking shelter
- In 1994, the Center for Battered Women turned away 1,400 victims of
domestic violence
- In 1994, Youth Options and Community Advocates for Teens and Parents
turned away over 390 youth and pregnant/parenting teens due to lack
of capacity
C. There is a lack of Transitional Housing & Supportive Housing
for homeless persons:
- In 1995, only 1 in 10 eligible homeless applicants received transitional
housing
- Only 25% of Austin/Travis County MHMR's housing units are targeted
to serve an estimated 2,400 mentally ill homeless persons
D. Homeless persons require a wide range of supportive services in order
to realize self sufficiency:
- Most homeless persons have less than a high school education. Literacy
levels are as low as the 4th grade level
- 70-75% homeless need job training
- 95% homeless families need child care
- Approximately 45% single homeless adults and 30% homeless families
need mental health treatment
- Up to 50% of homeless adults need substance abuse treatment, yet Austin
has only 10 detoxification slots for non-criminal justice indigent
persons
- Homeless persons comprised 9.5% of new active TB cases in Travis County
in 1994.
E. A lack of affordable housing in Austin & Travis County increases
the potential for homelessness as evidenced by:
- Nearly 1/3 of all Travis County households pay more than 30% of their
income on housing
- Almost 3/4 of poor persons (earning under 50% of median income) pay
over 30% of their income on housing
- A household needs an annual income of at least $16,000, or 182% of
minimum wage, to afford a two bedroom apartment in Austin
- 45% of calls received through the United Way "First Call for Help" are
housing related
- Rental costs in the Austin area increased 40% in the last five years
- The average sales price of homes in Austin has increased nearly 50%
since 1990
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Desired Community Impacts
A. Increase the number of persons who are stabilized from crisis situations
B. Prevent persons who are at risk, from becoming homeless
C. Reduce the number of homeless persons
D. Increase the number of persons who are able to live as independently
as possible in safe, healthy and affordable housing
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Strategies
A. Homeless Prevention:
- Help people avoid becoming homeless by providing identification and
birth certificates necessary to secure employment
- Provide emergency financial assistance to families at risk of eviction
or foreclosure
- Increase emergency assistance amounts to encourage landlord participation
- Provide Landlord/Tenant mediation services to persons at risk of eviction
- Provide case management to help "at risk" families get back
on their feet
- Provide child care and after-school care to families receiving case
management so they can find or maintain work
B. Outreach, Intake, Assessment:
- Provide a central source of information on services available in the
community to help persons transition from homelessness
- Provide centralized intake, data collection & computerized linkage
among service providers
- Develop mobile outreach to homeless persons to enhance access to critical
services such as medical care, mental health care, food, clothing and
blankets
C. Expand the Availability of Emergency Shelter:
- Develop a homeless campus, modeled after the Orlando, Florida model,
with shelter, housing and a full array of supportive services to help
people transition out of homelessness. The Orlando model is a successful
approach
to providing services for homeless on one site. The proposed homeless
campus for Austin would provide the following services:
- Low demand shelter for single adult men
- Dormitory housing for single adult women and families
- Safe Haven for mentally ill persons
- Day Shelter / Resource Center
- Supportive services (child care, education, job training, mental
health and substance abuse treatment, health care)
D. Develop transitional housing with case management and support services
for homeless single adults, families, persons with mental illness and/or
substance abuse and youth
E. Provide housing with case management and supportive services for homeless
persons with special needs, including persons with mental illness and/or
substance abuse
F. Develop adequate affordable housing
G. Provide adequate support services to help persons realize their maximum
potential:
- Mental health services
- Substance abuse services
- Employment
- Education/Life Skills Training
- Child Care/Children & Youth Programs
- Programs for Persons with Special Needs
- Immigrant Resources & Services
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Outcomes
A. Increased number of persons for whom intervention stabilized a crisis
situation
B. Increased number of persons who successfully engage in case management
C.
Increased number of persons who successfully engage in support services
4
D. Increased number of persons who achieve their case management goals
E.
Increased number of persons whose living condition improved after completion
of service delivery
F. Increased number of persons for whom intervention
resulted in their maintaining safe, healthy and decent housing
G. Increased
number of persons assisted who improved their skills and knowledge in
addressing their housing problems
H. Increased number of emergency shelter
beds
I. Increased number of persons with secure, safe housing upon leaving
shelter/transitional housing
J. Increased number of persons
who increase their independent living skills
K. Increased number of persons
whose ability to live as independently as possible is stabilized and/or
enhanced
L. Increased number of persons receiving job placement
M. Increased number
of persons maintaining employment six months or more
N. Increased number
of persons whose health conditions did not worsen as a result of services
provided
O. Increased number of persons with improved nutrition
P. Increased number
of persons who receive food and/or meals
Q. Increased number of affordable
housing units (transitional, supportive, permanent affordable)
R. Increased
number of safe and healthy housing units acquired or maintained
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