Travis County OKs $35 million contract to build housing units for homeless population

Luz Moreno-Lozano, Austin American-Statesman
·4 min read
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Travis County approved a $35 million contract with the nonprofit Mobile Loaves and Fishes on Tuesday, the first contract to be approved as part of its $110 million plan to tackle homelessness.

The funding will pay to build 640 units at the Community First Burleson Village as part of a supportive housing project. Supportive housing refers to combining housing units with services for people coming out of chronic homelessness.

Travis County Judge Andy Brown said the project is an important step in reaching the county’s goal of building 2,000 new supportive housing units in Travis County on its way to rehousing 3,000 people.

“Travis County is helping pave the way and lay the foundation for our unhoused neighbors to receive access to a better life,” Brown said. “Together we are strengthening what it means to call a community home.”

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The contract for the new housing units comes as Austin nonprofit Ending Community Homelessness Coalition — commonly known as ECHO — is preparing to conduct its annual point-in-time count of the city’s homeless population. As of December, an estimated 3,838 people were considered homeless and unsheltered, while an additional 818 were considered homeless but living in area shelters.

“Austin has an affordability crisis, but it doesn’t have to have a moral one too,” Brown said. “These are people we are helping; they have been through traumatic experiences and they deserve dignified, and respectful, help.”

Alan Graham, founder and CEO for Mobile Loaves and Fishes, applauded the collaboration between the county, the nonprofit and others.

“That is the power of what it is that we can do when we come together as a community, and set the banquet table that is inclusive of every human being − miracles will be able to happen,” Graham said.

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How many units are expected to be built?

Brown said the $35 million will fund 640 units that will come in a mixture of options:

  • 356 microhome units: These will be 150-200 square feet, single-room occupancy, with shared laundry, restroom, shower and kitchen facilities.

  • 118 tiny townhome units: These will be 250-300 square feet duplexes with individual restrooms and shared laundry, shower and kitchen facilities.

  • 166 park model RV units: These will be 399 square feet, manufactured off-site and installed permanently on-site with one bedroom, a full bathroom, a kitchen and living room.

How long will they take to build?

Graham said the organization expects to be able to move people in by mid-2025. He said Tuesday’s vote unleashed the ability to begin the bidding process. It will take about two years to build infrastructure, like roads and utility services, and about a year into that they can start to build housing units.

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What kind of services will be offered?

Community First Village offers a range of on-site services, including health care; mental and behavioral health services; and job and income opportunities, Graham said.

Those services will be available at the new development, with full-time behavioral health case managers through Integral Care; primary health care services provided by CommUnityCare Health Centers; community health paramedic services provided by Austin-Travis County EMS; and service coordination, money management, case management and in-home supportive services provided by Family Eldercare.

Graham said there also will be addiction recovery and support services, as well as spaces and platforms where neighbors can build relationships, connect with their community, address conflict, repair harm and heal from relational harms.

What's the plan for remaining funds?

Travis County still has $75 million available to help address homelessness, Brown said.

At least 10 other projects are slated for the money, including with the Other Ones Foundation, Foundation Communities, LifeWorks and Family Eldercare.

“I am hopeful that this will spur an initiative for far deeper collaboration across the nonprofit community where we the people can demonstrate how powerful government and private partnerships can be,” Graham said.

U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, who helped secure the funding, said this is proof that these federal dollars are being put to good use.

“There is not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Doggett said. “But what these dollars will be doing, combined with other dollars from private donors, is it commenced an innovative approach to this serious societal problem. With the construction of 640 units there are hundreds of our most vulnerable neighbors who will have a path out of chronic homelessness and a way to break the cycle.”

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Travis County approves $35 million for housing units for homeless