As Williamson County’s population increases and housing costs rise, some nonprofits are offering services to assist residents struggling or unable to afford housing.
Williamson County’s 2014-18 Housing and Urban Development consolidated plan states cost burden is the most common housing problem in the county, with about 22 percent of households burdened by housing costs and about 9 percent spending more than half their income on housing. In 2015, Texas A&M University’s Real Estate Center reported the Austin metro area had the second-lowest housing affordability rating in the state.
Ginna O’Conner, executive director of The Caring Place in Georgetown, said hundreds of families utilize the nonprofit’s services—such as a food pantry and thrift store—each month and that housing costs can be a concern for many low-income residents.
“Housing costs are rising in the area as are utility costs as well. We certainly see that impacting the people that we serve,” O’Conner said. “One [emergency event] can throw a family into crisis. … The Caring Place is here to assist people who are in financial crisis and need help with basic human services or needs.”
