AUSTIN, Texas — Advocates for permanent housing are calling for government-issued funds to be used differently in Austin.
Recently, the City announced that over $65 million will go towards nonprofits to help combat homelessness. That money is coming from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
The funds will be given through planning and distributed evenly among three nonprofit groups: The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF), Caritas of Austin and Lifeworks. The goal is for the vast majority of the money to go toward a non-congregate shelter through TOOF, which would add at least 700 additional beds.
Roughly $5 million will then be split evenly between Caritas of Austin and Lifeworks to be utilized through rental assistance and housing stability.
But advocates with the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance (THRA), Austin Justice Coalition, Equity Action and TOOF say part of the problem is the City's inability to finish projects.
“We know that progress on these units has actually been delayed because the city refuses to prioritize their completion,” said Paulette Soltani, director of organizing for the THRA. “We need ongoing funding for services, for vouchers so people can pay their rent. And we need ongoing funding so that these projects can actually close and these units can open up.”
The coalition believes less money should be budgeted for Austin police. It says the money budgeted by the City should go toward permanent supportive housing, as well as outreach services and emergency rental assistance.
The group has released its own proposed “Community Investment Budget” that it thinks the City should adopt. It includes:
- $1 million for harm reduction services and infrastructure
- $3 million for project-based permanent supportive housing voucher
- $3 million for service funding for permanent supportive housing
- $3 million for street outreach services, case managers and peer support specialists
- $16 million for emergency rental assistance, eviction defense, tenant legal and support services
“If we are serious about ending homelessness we need more than quick fixes. Emergency resources must be balanced with long-term, structural planning and investments to help people transition quickly into stable, dignified housing,” said João Paulo M. Connolly, organizing director of the Austin Justice Coalition. “In all of this, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, an effective response must be flexible and capable of meeting every client where they are at.”