Homelessness in Austin
By Wells Dunbar, 2:51PM, Fri. Nov. 17, 2006
While we couldn't attend the Community Action Network's Homeless Educational Forum today, we were fortunate enough to procure a copy of CAN's most recent report and FAQ about homelessness in Austin. Aside from being filled with useful information about how to help, it also contains some sobering numbers:
Over a 12 month period, there were over 6,200 homeless people in the Austin area. Between September 12, 2005 and September 12, 2006, 6,242 unique individuals received services from Austin area homeless service providers. (Homeless Management Information System - HMIS)
On any given day, there are approximately 4,000 homeless individuals of which 1,900 are downtown. (Homeless Count 2004)
Over 1,500 children are affected by homelessness in the Austin Independent School District. In the 2005-2006 school year, AISD Project Help served 1,556 homeless students. (AISD Project Help)
High Cost of Living Contributes to Homelessness. Austin has the highest housing costs for an urban area in Texas (Texas A&M Real Estate Center Report 2005)
Low Wages Contribute to Homelessness. Of the top ten occupational categories in the Austin area, nearly 30% of those jobs have a median wage of less than $10/hour. (WorkSource)
Click here to download the report.
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Wells Dunbar, Sept. 30, 2010
Austin Sanders, May 12, 2023
Richard Whittaker, Aug. 21, 2015
Health & Human Services, Housing, homelessness, community action network
