Austin's Amazingly Simple Plan to Reduce Homelessness by 20%

by Natalie Wendt · 2010-06-28 13:15:00 UTC
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Austin's city council is debating a plan that could provide permanent homes for 20 percent of the city's homeless population. Way too ambitious, right? Except it's amazingly simple. The city is considering donating land to Mobile Loaves & Fishes, a charity that would set up 100 trailers there.

The land in question is near the Austin-Bergstrom airport and was purchased with help from the Federal Aviation Administration, so it's up to the FAA if it can be used for the trailers. If the FAA agrees, the city may have to pay the FAA back. In case that's not an option, the city's also looking into other city-owned land for the possible RV trailer park.

Could trailers and a place to put them really reduce homelessness? According to Mobile Loaves & Fishes in Austin, 40 people are already housed in 34 of their trailers around Austin. More than 85 percent (pdf) of these residents have maintained stable housing for over a year. MLF follows the Housing First model, in which getting people into permanent housing is the number one priority and support services come later. (The name kind gives it away, huh?)

Mobile Loaves & Fishes plans to do all the fundraising needed to buy the RV trailers and establish the trailer park, to be named Jennifer Gale Village after a transgender homeless woman/perennial Texas candidate for public office. Residents of Jennifer Gale Village will pay between $100 and $375 a month (pdf) and must qualify as chronically homeless to be eligible. Plans for JGV include case management, a Catholic Charities-operated food pantry, counseling and on-site management.

Unfortunately the proposed land is not near any existing communities. Though it's on a mass transit line, the park's residents wouldn't be within walking distance of much of anything. Will park residents have enough access to work and services to keep their new homes? Could 100 trailers, some land and a little assistance be a significant step in ending homelessness in Austin? Stay tuned.

Photo credit: ThreadedThoughts

Natalie Wendt is an elementary school teacher and freelance writer. She has volunteered at Hope House, a shelter for homeless women, and with Food Not Bombs.

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