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HOMELESSNESS
The crisis of homelessness in Austin/Travis County is greater than commonly
known or acknowledged. Conservative estimates indicate that over 3,625 families
and individuals are homeless on any given day in our community. Despite the
strength and growth of the economy over the past decade, over 12% of Travis
County residents continue to live in poverty and an increasing number of families
are becoming homeless. As Austin/Travis County continues to grow, so does the
division between its very rich and very poor residents. As rapid growth drives
up the cost of living, more residents become at risk of homelessness. This trend
is in part the result of several factors:
- Wage levels have not kept pace with the rising cost of housing. While housing
costs in the area have increased 70% since 1990, the median household income
has increased only 42%.
- Austin is recognized as having the highest rental housing costs in Texas
and the 16th most expensive apartment market in the country.
- In order to afford a two-bedroom apartment at fair market rent ($820 per
month), full-time workers need to earn $16 per hour, almost three times the
minimum wage.
People become homeless for many reasons: lack of affordable housing, enduring
poverty, family violence, medical and financial crisis, chronic health problems,
and untreated mental illness and substance abuse. These factors can cause homelessness
as well as influence how easily a person will be able to make the transition
from homelessness to housing and independent living. In order to respond to
the complex and multiple needs of the homeless, the community has developed
a Continuum of Care that both prevents and resolves homelessness through
comprehensive and individualized services provided through several levels of
intervention:
- Prevention of homelessness through rental assistance, landlord/tenant
mediation, and legal advocacy
- Outreach to inform people of and engage them in available services.
- Intake and Assessment to develop an individualized plan of action
with homeless clients based on their reported history, current situation,
resources and goals.
- Emergency Shelter to provide temporary, immediate shelter (30-90
days)
- Transitional Housing to provide low-cost housing for up to 24 months,
along with supportive services to help homeless persons transition to permanent
housing.
- Permanent Affordable Housing in which an individual intends to live
for longer than 6 months, and which costs no more than 30% of gross household
income.
- Permanent Supportive Housing that allows families and individuals
with special needs to live as independently as possible in affordable, supportive
environments.
- Supportive Services to provide the comprehensive skills, assistance
and support that homeless people need to transition out of homelessness (e.g.,
child care, education, mental health and substance abuse treatment, case management).
The Homelessness Planning Process
The Community Action Network Homeless Task Force's Program Assessment and Planning
Committee is charged with assessing the needs of homeless persons in Austin,
and developing strategies for meeting these needs. After reviewing previous
planning documents, including the 1996 Comprehensive Plan for Addressing Homelessness
in Austin/Travis County and the 1998 Update, this committee evaluated current
priorities within homeless services. The stakeholders involved in this process
represented all segments of the homeless population, including single adults,
families, and youth, as well as governmental and community organizations. They
brought expertise on the issues of mental illness, substance abuse, domestic
violence, and other key issues contributing to homelessness. This matrix has
been presented to the voting members of the Homeless Task Force for feedback
and approval. The Task Force approved the urgent issues plan on February 23,
2001.
Strategies for Addressing Homelessness
The Assessment and Planning Committee identified four urgent issues across the
entire Continuum of Care for homeless services described above, and recommended
solutions and actions to address each of these critical needs. The urgent issues
identified in this matrix are intended to complement existing efforts by the
City, the County, and service provider agencies, and to address a range of housing
needs, including emergency shelter, transitional housing, permanent affordable
housing and homelessness prevention. The desired result for the identified urgent
issues include:
- More homeless families and individuals will secure and maintain affordable
housing.
Individuals and families employed in low-wage jobs are often unable to pay
housing costs. Social service, governmental, business, neighborhood and community
groups need to work together to increase the stock of affordable single-room
and family rental units.
- More homeless people will have access to transitional housing programs and
successfully transition to permanent housing with greater self-sufficiency.
For many homeless individuals and families, a period of supported living,
with access to child care, case management, job training, and counseling,
will greatly increase their ability to access and maintain permanent housing
and self-sufficiency.
- More families with children, chronically homeless individuals, and street
youth will have access to shelter in environments that are safe and that offer
appropriate services.
Currently, the number of persons needing emergency shelter on any given day
exceeds the available beds by 60%. Access to safe, overnight shelter is often
a prerequisite for homeless persons wanting to address more comprehensive
issues, such as employment, health, and permanent housing.
- More households will stabilize from financial crisis and maintain permanent
housing.
Many individuals and families are living on the edge of homelessness; crossing
this line can disrupt employment, health, education, and other areas of one's
life. Investing in helping people to maintain their housing and stability
now will decrease the resources needed later for the more resource-intensive
homelessness programs.
The attached matrix outlines the urgent issues and desired results described
above, and provides supporting data to illustrate the critical needs within
each area. The proposed solutions for each urgent issue are followed by recommended
actions and opportunities for participation in the solutions by all sectors
of the community, as well as a list of existing participants with whom they
can collaborate. The focus of the action steps is on harnessing resources from
the community to increase availability of shelter and housing across the Continuum
of Care, and to prevent homelessness for those who are precariously housed.
The CAN Homeless Task Force Assessment and Planning Committee is chaired by
Angela Atwood of SafePlace who can be reached at (512) 385-5181. Staff support
is provided by Mary Rychlik, Homeless Services Coordinator for the Austin/Travis
County Health and Human Services Department and can be reached at (512) 707-5929
or by email at Mary.Rychlik@austin.ci.tx.us.
2001 Urgent Issues Action Plan Home Page
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