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Affordable Housing & Homelessness
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Austin & the U.S. Need to Reduce Homelessness and Increase Affordable Housing
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Austin's Situation
Since at least 2017, the number of people in Austin experiencing homelessness has been steadily increasing, currently estimated to be 5,400 people.
For years now, Austin has been lacking shelter space for its unhoused residents. After the closure of The Salvation Army's downtown shelter, Austin had roughly 900 shelter beds at the start of the summer. Since then, the city has repurposed a warehouse space in Southeast Austin to accommodate an additional 300 people. (Click here to read how nonprofits have been left out of communication regarding this shelter.)
In addition to shelter beds, local leaders have also invested in housing developments coupled with social services, known as permanent supportive housing. 1,000 units of permanent supportive housing are expected to be available within the next two years.
While these efforts are luadible, much more needs to be done to provide shelter and permanent supportive housing for the many, many members of our community who live without shelter.
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What can we do to make a difference?
Developing affordable housing takes a deep community commitment as well as creativity and often takes years. Thankfully the City of Austin is looking into ways to reduce the cost of new construction and to create more shelter for those experiencing homelessness, but there is certainly more that could be done.
We invite you to pray, educate yourself on the issue, volunteer your time, advocate locally or at the federal level for an increase in affordable housing, or donate to an organization that helps care for or house vulnerable individuals.
Not sure where to get started? Feel like the issue is just “too big?
Put more of a face on the issue by listening to the podcast of a conversation between Mobile Loaves & Fishes founder and CEO, Alan Graham, and Foundation Communities Executive Director, Walter Moreau: “Getting’ Stuff Done”. And keep reading below to learn more, take action, and pray for affordable housing in our community.
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1. Pray
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For equitable & affordable housing
Lord God of all, we pray for our neighbors in need of safe and affordable housing, and for the many families in danger of home foreclosure, [being evicted], or mourning the loss of their homes. May we work to build communities that create space for all people to live, not just for the wealthy. Amen. (Source: Sojourners)
Dear God,
Watch over your children, especially those with no homes to return to at the end of long and weary days. Protect them from all harm and keep them from despair. Open the hearts and eyes of those of us with blessings to share.
Unite our voices in a call for justice:
So that no man need ever lay down for the night on a wooden park bench because he has no home;
So that no woman need ever tuck her children into the backseat of her car because she has no home;
So that no child need ever wonder, “Where will I feel safe?” because he has no home;
So that all those who wander and all who are in need, find the shelter and the peace they seek.
Remind us, O God, that we cannot rest fully secure in our homes each night until all your children are, at last, home.
Amen.~Andrea Goldstein, from Social Justice Resource Center
More Prayers for Those Experiencing Homelessness
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2. Be Informed
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On Housing as a Human Right
The Catholic bishops believe decent, safe, and affordable housing is a human right. Catholic teaching supports the right to private property, but recognizes that communities and the government have an obligation to ensure the housing needs of all are met, especially poor and vulnerable people and their families. At a time of rising homelessness and when many workers’ wages are stagnant and living expenses are rising, it is important to ensure housing security.
~ U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
The lack of safe, affordable housing requires a renewed commitment to increase the supply of quality housing and to preserve, maintain, and improve existing housing through public/private partnerships, especially with religious groups and community organizations.
~ U.S. Conference Catholic Bishops
I want to be very clear, we can find no social or moral justification, no justification, no justification whatsoever, for lack of housing.
Pope Francis
~From the Social Justice Resource Center
More Quotes on Housing
From the Bishops on The Right to a Decent Home
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3. Advocate for Affordable Housing
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Let your local elected officials know that housing situation in Austin is urgent and requires ACTION, not just more studies. We know that the people who are being forced out of their homes because they can't afford rent will move into unstable housing situations, over-crowded living conditions, or become homeless - which is especially dangerous during the coldest or hottest weeks of the year.
Urge politicians and lawmakers at the local, state, and federal level to direct more funds -- and all the other incentives they can -- to create more affordable housing and funding for homeless services in our community and nationwide. Use the quick links on our Advocate Now page to get their contact information.
Data shows that calls are more effective than emails as are personal anecdotes. As a parishioner of St. Austin, you are welcome to share what our parish has learned through serving neighbors in need in our Outreach, St. Vincent de Paul society, and other ministries. Consider reaching out to any Outreach or SVDP volunteers you know to hear some stories of the guests and neighbors we serve to add "flesh" to your call or email.
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4. Support organizations addressing homelessness & housing equity
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Local Affordable Housing Organizations
Austinites are in urgent need of affordable housing. Here are a few local organizations working to create affordable housing solutions:
Foundation Communities creates housing where individuals and families succeed.
Saint Louise House provides housing and essential services in Austin to homeless women with children.
Mobile Loaves & Fishes' Community First! Village provides affordable, permanent housing and a supportive community for the disabled, chronically homeless in Central Texas.
Austin Habitat for Humanity helps families with affordable home ownership, home repairs, and more.
Guadalupe Neighborhood Development Corporation (GNDC) is an affordable housing provider helping families from East Austin remain in their neighborhood.
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Local Organizations Serving Those Without Shelter
Our unsheltered Austin residents are supported by these and other organizations:
Trinity Center is open 6 days a week serving those experiencing homelessness in the downtown Austin area with breakfast, case management, and more.
The Other Ones Foundation offers humanitarian aid, case management, and low-barrier work opportunities to people experiencing homelessness in Austin.
Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center offers pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness through wraparound services and programming that engages our communities and leads system-wide transformation.
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Nationwide Organizations
Here are a few organizations working on affordable housing solutions around the country:
Family Promise has numerous affiliates across the U.S. that help families experiencing homelessness and low-income families achieve sustainable independence through community-based responses.
National Alliance to End Homelessness is a nonpartisan organization committed to preventing and ending homelessness in the United States.
RESULTS advocates for policies that increase access to affordable rental housing, support homeownership, and tackle the racial wealth divide in the U.S. RESULTS is a movement of everyday people who use their voices to influence political decisions that will bring an end to poverty in the U.S. and globally.
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5. Take Care of Yourself & Stay Positive
