Travis County commissioners approved two contracts Sept. 17 with local nonprofits to add just over 200 new units of affordable housing.
The details
These housing projects align with ongoing efforts by Travis County and the city of Austin to address housing insecurity, referred to as the “Austin-Travis County’s pipeline of housing” in a county news release.
Nonprofit housing organization Foundation Communities received a contract for $15 million to help fund its new three-story multifamily project, to be known as Burleson Studios. The 79,500-square-foot building will feature 104 units geared toward single adults experiencing homelessness.
The development will be located in southeast Austin within a new Community First! Village property, a master planned community centered on affordable, permanent housing for individuals coming out of chronic homelessness.
Residents will have access to health care, a grocery store and other nearby amenities, the news release states, and the organization will also collaborate with local social outreach group Mobile Loaves & Fishes.
The second, $13 million contract was awarded to youth advocate group LifeWorks, which will use the funding on The Works III project at 701 Tillery St., Austin. The housing development will reserve 120 units for permanent supportive housing at 50% median family income, including 96 continuum of care units intended for individuals experiencing homelessness and also those aging out of foster care.
The project has also previously received $6 million from Austin's Homestead Preservation District Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and $2 million from federal HOME grant funding.
"We’re making meaningful strides in addressing both the affordability crisis and the critical need for housing for those experiencing homelessness in Travis County,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said. “These investments in supportive housing are not just about creating units; they’re about building communities where residents have access to the care, services and opportunities they need to thrive. By partnering with organizations like Foundation Communities and LifeWorks, we’re laying the foundation for long-term solutions that will improve lives and strengthen our entire community."
County funding for these projects comes from $110 million in American Rescue Plan Act federal dollars set aside for supportive housing. Since 2021, 11 projects and 10 nonprofits have received funding.
Some context
Discussion of the long-term path toward housing its unsheltered population took the spotlight after a majority of Austin voters opted to reinstate the city’s camping ban in 2021.
More than 24,300 people in Austin and Travis County sought help with homelessness last year, according to the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, or ECHO—the organization overseeing the local Homelessness Response System.
ECHO found that 2023 saw a nearly 42% increase in unique clients seeking services compared to 2022.
However, the annual total for those accessing services is different, and much higher, than the number of people who are likely currently homeless in the Austin area. ECHO estimated that figure at around 6,200 as of August 2024.
Nearly one-third of the region's homeless population was chronically homeless, meaning they've been unhoused with a disability for either at least one straight year or a total of 12 months within three years. Austin has a higher share of chronically homeless individuals than other large Texas cities.
ECHO attributed the rising pace of people falling into homelessness to economic factors, including local housing affordability issues and sluggish wage growth.
Ben Thompson contributed to this story.
