Every night, nearly 4,000 people in Austin are homeless, according to the Community Action Network. About 600 people sleep at emergency shelters and the same number stay in temporary transitional housing. Many are challenged by physical and mental disabilities that can improve with a home.

Homeless Families

While some families with extremely low incomes are homeless, many others are also doubled up or struggling to pay as much as half their incomes or more for rent.

Homelessness and poverty have an especially serious impact on children. Through no fault of their own, they suffer from poorer health, emotional and behavioral development, and academic development than peers from families with the stability of having a permanent place to live.

According to the US Census Bureau:

• There are an estimated 26,304 children in Travis County
living in poverty

• Approximately half of these children and their parents do not receive any government assistance to maintain a safe and decent place to call home-even though they qualify

Homeless Adults

Supportive housing is a successful, cost-effective combination of permanent affordable housing with services that helps people live more stable, productive lives. It costs $12.30 per day to house someone at Garden Terrace, compared with an average of $28.63 per day to provide temporary shelter, $81.18 per day for a jail stay, or a whopping $1,638.10 per day for hospitalization.

This type of housing is for persons who are:
• Working in low-wage jobs and are unable to afford market rate housing

 • Disabled or elderly who are receiving SSI and are unable to locate housing within their limited budget

• Homeless and have shown progress in addressing long-term issues such as substance abuse, mental health treatment, job training/ education, etc. through case management and other programs.

See these links for more information on supportive housing as a solution to homelessness:

Corporation for Supportive Housing

National Alliance to End Homelessness

National Coalition for the Homeless

National Low Income Housing Coalition

 

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Darrel had a successful career in the machine tool industry until his life took a dive into depression and alcoholism. Eventually, he was faced with the choice of shooting himself or calling for help, and Darrel chose to pick up the phone.

After completing a rehabilitation program, Darrel became one of the first to move into Garden Terrace, an apartment community providing permanent, affordable housing and help with health care, employment, and other needs. Darrel has taken college classes, dealt with health issues, and is working again. He calls Garden Terrace “a godsend” that has given him a second chance at life, and he wants to see it expand to help others.