ECHO members believe that only when homelessness
no longer exists will the ECHO’s tasks be completed

What causes homelessness?

The primary cause of homelessness in the U.S. is the lack of affordable housing. For most people, an array of various factors causes homelessness. Individuals living independently in the community can become homeless when any part of their support network fails and they are unable to overcome a set of difficult circumstances. For some people, homelessness is simply the result of not earning enough income to be able to afford housing. For others, homelessness is a chronic life situation fueled by substance abuse or untreated mental illness. For many, the factor that originally leads to homelessness is exacerbated over time by other factors. Some of the major factors that contribute to homelessness are lack of affordable housing, economic factors, domestic violence, mental illness, substance abuse, and sudden changes.

Who are the homeless persons in the Austin/Travis County?

Counting the homeless population is a difficult process but is vital in local planning effort. The Austin Continuum of Care committee provides historic estimates of the homeless population in Austin/Travis County.

In 2007, the “point-in-time” count of the homeless population in Austin/Travis County was at least 4,468. This number reflects estimates counts of homeless persons receiving homeless services and those who are turned away from services because of a lack of service capacity.

Wish lists for Blackland CDC families in transitional housing

• Gift cards: HEB, Old Navy, Wal-Mart, gas companies
  Diapers and Wipes
• Gift certificates to a salon or haircut place
• Transportation of furniture (sporadically needed)
• Respite care for children (can be made in the form of payments to daycare, or provided by trustworthy volunteers)
• Used movies- VHS or DVD
• Educational toys for kids
• Bikes and accessories (bike locks, lights)
• Computers
• Donations towards BCDC education fund
• Scholarships for camps and afterschool programs for kids
• "Welcome Home" boxes (given to families when moving into housing)- Cleaning supplies (including towels and sponges), mop, broom, dustpan, chopping board, basic kitchen ware ($15 boxes of pots and pans)

Contact: Isabelle Headrick at 512) 972-5796 or