Basic Needs
Vision
Travis County will be a community in which each person has the basic resources to live a full and independent life.
Summary
Access to the basic needs of life, including affordable and adequate housing, food, clothing, and transportation, is necessary to the development of a strong community. This access is possible to achieve within Austin and Travis County. Changing the service delivery paradigm from one that concentrates on simply meeting immediate needs to one that provides individuals with the resources to become independent and self-sufficient will be a cost-effective and ultimately more successful way to approach human needs..
Fostering maximum self-sufficiency should be the goal of social service programs. Services provided to at-risk residents by concentrating more on:
- case management,
- coordinated service delivery providing a wide variety of services in one site; and
- a continuum of care (array of services from prevention to intervention) which optimizes an individual's ability to live independently.
Various population groups are more likely to need basic services than others. These at-risk populations include: the frail elderly
- low income and working poor
- persons with disabilities
- homeless people
- high-risk teens
- foreign-born residents ( including refugees, legal residents of the US who are not citizens and undocumented residents)
Members of the people in these at-risk populations could grow to independence if they had security in the basic necessities of life. By creating a community in which each person has basic resources, less money can be spent on social services, social dysfunction can be improved and public health improved.
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Critical Conditions
A. Approximately 16% of Travis County residents (98,042 individuals) live at or below poverty level (1995 estimate) .
B. In 1996, approximately 300,000 Central Texas residents received donated food. Over 6 million pounds of food were distributed .
C. In 1990, 24,176 renter households paid more than half of their total income for rent. Over 50,000 households paid more than 30% of their income for rent .
D. Approximately 103,814 individuals in Travis and Williamson County are functionally disabled with 62,081 of these individuals experiencing physical disabilities .
E. In a 1994 survey of individuals with disabilities in Texas, 83% indicated that additional housing and community living options for people with disabilities was a critical need .
F. In 1990, ten percent or the Travis County population was 60 years of age or older (57,779 individuals). Nearly 3% were 70 years of age or older (17,052) .
G. About 30% of all non-institutionalized older persons live alone .
H. By 2002, an overall reduction of 20% in food stamp benefits could mean a $514 per year cut to a Texas family .
I. Federal Welfare Reform bars or limits legal immigrants from a range of assistance services including Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Food Stamps. Six-hundred Travis County immigrants are estimated to lose SSI and 1,700 to lose Food Stamps .
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Desired Community Impacts
A. Increase the number of persons and households stabilized from crisis situations.
B. Prevent homelessness and reduce the number of homeless persons and households.
C. Increase the number of persons and households able to live independently in safe, decent, sanitary and affordable housing.
D. Increase the number of persons and households able to access and afford nutritious food.
E. Prevent neglect, self-neglect and loss of independence among elderly, persons with disabilities and other at-risk populations.
F. Improve the social and economic self-sufficiency of foreign-born residents, persons with disabilities, the elderly and other at-risk residents.
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Strategies
A. Establish shared administrative infrastructure and programs to:
- reduce administrative costs
- expand variety of funding sources
- increase capacity to provide services
- establish collaboratives.
B. Establish responsive aid systems including:
- private and public sector transport services
- energy saving program outreach
- coordinated, accessible phone and walk-in service and resource sites
- comprehensive consultation and case management services
- mobile outreach and assessment
C. Develop programs and support services which maximize independent living such as:
- transitional housing
- supportive housing
- affordable housing
- in-home care
- adult daycare
- in-home respite services for caregivers
D. Expand accessibility and availability of substance abuse, mental health and healthcare services including:
- intervention and referral
- interim and long-term case management
- mobile healthcare and outreach
- legal services
- exercise and mobility
E. Establish and expand food production and distribution programs including:
- community gardens and urban farms
- nutrition education and counseling
- child nutrition programs
- home delivered meals for the elderly
- congregate meal sites
- coordinated food pantry system
F. Establish and expand services for foreign-born residents including:
- aid and assistance
- legal assistance
- English as a Second Language (ESL) classes
- interpreter services
- community orientation
G. Establish and expand services which enable low income, working poor and other at-risk populations to obtain and maintain employment and financial security including:
- affordable child daycare
- financial and home management counseling
- job training
- legal services
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Outcomes
A. increased number of persons able to maintain independence or who do not become homeless as the result access to transportation, emergency aid and other services
B. increased number of persons who received mobile outreach services
C. increased number of persons in the at-risk populations who accessed transitional housing without a waiting period
D. increased number of persons who accessed supportive housing programs and services
E. increased number of persons who accessed mental health, substance abuse, employment or other required services
F. increased amount of food produced and/or distributed to persons who need it
G. increased number of persons receiving nutritional, home management and related counseling services
H. increased number of foreign-born persons able to access language, legal, job, housing and other needed services
I. increased financial planning, management and bank services available in all neighborhoods and number of persons receiving services
J. increased number of unemployed, low income and other at-risk populations who obtain and maintain employment
K. increased number of affordable child and adult daycare slots
L. increased number of affordable housing units
M. increased percent of funding used for direct services and total increase in service capacity
N. increased number of businesses working with direct service agencies
O. increased number of agencies and services coordinating with each other and with private-sector businesses
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