| |
APPENDIX E: 2001 URGENT ISSUES ACTION PLAN
Homelessness Planning
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, 16% 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. The crisis of homelessness in Austin/ 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
($800 per month), full-time workers need to earn $15.75 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 and resources.
- Emergency Shelter to provide temporary, immediate shelter
(30-90 days)
- Transitional Housing to provide low-cost housing for
6 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 Assessment
and Planning Subcommittee 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.
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 and by 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 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
outlines 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 listing 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, SafePlace (385-5181). Staff support
is provided by Mary Rychlik, Homeless Coordinator for the City
of Austin (707-5929).
Top Of Page
2001 Homeless Assessment Home Page
|
