The safest place for anyone on earth is home. Imagine how it must be for homeless people in Austin or, in fact, anywhere in the world. Homelessness is a problem that must be eradicated, but how do we do that? Well, the answer is simple “by coming together” and supporting the ones who are taking initiatives in this matter.
Homelessness in Austin `
According to a study, Travis County is home to 2,374 individuals who are homeless. 1,266 people are found sleeping outside and 1,108 in shelters or transitional housing, according to a breakdown of those figures.
According to the data, the percentage of unsheltered individuals who claimed to have been homeless for the first time in Austin increased to 74.5% in 2023 from 63.4% in 2020.
Some become homeless due to conditions like mental illness or addiction that make it difficult to maintain housing, while others become homeless as a result of leaving an abusive relationship, losing their job, accruing medical debt, or losing access to credit.
A young person may become homeless when they age out of foster care or are abandoned by their family; according to the Trevor Project, 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQIA+.
The criminal justice system, education, healthcare, racism, affordability, and generational poverty are some of the systemic causes of instability that can result in homelessness and make it more difficult to find and maintain housing.
What Can We Do to End Homelessness in Austin?
What the City of Austin Doing
In 2018, Austin’s City Council and Mayor declared that eradicating homelessness would be their top priority. As a result, more funds are allocated to tried-and-true methods of providing for immediate needs, building housing, and keeping others from becoming homeless.
Non-profit organizations, religious organizations, and social service agencies have been helping the homeless in the Austin community for many years; the city is not the only organization working to end homelessness.
What We Can Do
In the Austin community, there are numerous actions that people can take to reduce, eliminate, or prevent homelessness.
- Give your time, skills, and money to worthy organizations so they can assist more people in need (this is the safest way to get help directly to people experiencing homelessness).
- Showing kindness and compassion to those who are homeless among us is a great and simple step that we can take towards dealing with homelessness.
- Promote laws and significant funding to provide healthcare, affordable housing, and housing to keep people healthy and housed. You should also work to reform the previously mentioned systems that contribute most to the homelessness of people.
- You can conduct community outreach and education programs to raise awareness about the root causes of homelessness.
The issue of homelessness in Austin might be scary, but remember that together we can work towards ending it. Support non-profit organizations with financial and other resources that motivate them to work even harder and with passion for this great cause.
