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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:
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Prevention:
- Provide emergency assistance and other supports to help stabilize people in crisis situations.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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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