BY BEN THOMPSON
Homeless service needs rise in Austin area, first-time client count increases
Zooming in
Unhoused Austin and Travis County residents continue to skew male and single, with a majority also experiencing a disabling condition. Racial dis- parities persist, with Black Austinites more likely become homeless than others despite making up much less of the local population. Austin also has a higher share of chronically homeless individuals than other large Texas cities. “It really highlights the need that we need more units to be able to exit people out of the system quicker,” Montaño said. ECHO also found far more people being wel- comed into existing programs around Austin, particularly rapid rehousing, than in the past.
of research and evaluation. The recent ECHO analysis also stated more people may be falling into homelessness now due to issues like housing unaffordability and sluggish wage growth. ECHO’s report of the total number of people who sought services over a full year is different— and much higher—than the number of people who are likely homeless in the Austin area at any given time. ECHO estimated that population at around 5,300 as of late September. It’s also a separate statistic than the federally mandated point-in-time count, or PIT, conducted in-person every two years. The most recent PIT found nearly 2,400 people on the streets and in shelters in early 2023. Austin’s count placed below Dallas, was on roughly even footing with Fort Worth, and higher than San Antonio and Houston. The next PIT is scheduled for Jan. 25 and is now accepting interested volunteers.
Thousands more people in the Austin area sought help with homelessness last year than in 2022, including a spike in first-time clients. More than 24,300 people in Austin and Travis County received services like shelter, housing and case management in 2023, according to new data reported by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, or ECHO—the organization overseeing the local Homelessness Response System. That was nearly 42% more than in 2022. Almost a third of all individuals receiving support last year were new to the system. ECHO staff noted factors like improved community outreach and the availability of new resources likely contributed to the growing client pool as well. “It’s really easy to get a little shocked by the numbers ... But I think it’s also really important contextually to look at, we just have a lot more programs in the system doing a lot of different things,” said Joseph Montaño, ECHO’s director
The outlook
Hundreds of new supportive housing units are anticipated in the 2020s. Several projects added nearly 350 rooms combined this year, and almost 900 more are expected by 2028. However, ECHO projects at least 5,000 units are needed to meet local needs in the coming decade. Meanwhile, hundreds of millions of the city and county’s federal relief dollars—which supported many new developments—are drying up. Montaño said the impending funding drop-off is a “large concern” that local organizations and the city Homeless Strategy Office are planning for.
People served The number of people who sought services through the local Homeless Response System grew by more than 40% from 2022 to 2023.
25,000
20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0
SOURCE: ENDING COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS COALITION/ COMMUNITY IMPACT
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
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