2019 Snapshot of Homelessness in TX

Snapshot of
Homelessness in
Texas
Strategies For Change

thn.org
1
What is THN?
THN is a statewide agency that…
Leads communities in Texas so that

homelessness is rare, brief, and non-
recurring
2
Homelessness in Texas
The communities that

THN works with/for:
And THN is the lead

agency for TX
Balance of State
Continuum of Care
A CoC or Homeless Crisis Response system:

-A community-based planning network for
homelessness assistance.
-The geographic area covered by the community-
based planning network.
-A program operated by the Dept. of Housing &
Urban Dev. (HUD)
3
What is a CoC?
A CoC, as defined by HUD in the CoC Program
Interim Rule at 24 CFR Part 578.3, is the group
organized to carry out the responsibilities
required under the CoC Program for a defined
geographic area.
A community- The geographic A program

based planning area covered by operated by the
network for the community- Dept. of
homelessness based planning Housing &
assistance. network. Urban Dev.
(HUD)
1. A community-based planning network for

homelessness assistance.
2. The geographic area covered by the
community-based planning network
3. A program operated by the Dept. of Housing &
Urban Dev. (HUD)
4
Extent of Homelessness in
Texas
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• This infographic is meant to show a one-day snapshot of homelessness in TX for those of
us, which is most of us, that only have a second or less to take in data as we scroll down
our social media sites, through our google searches, or in the case of our elected
officials, if time is limited because of overwhelming constituent interaction.
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Number of People Experiencing
Homelessness in Texas
75%
Households
w/o Children
25,848 24%
Households
with Children
Households
1%
only Children
Results of 2019 PIT Counts
• Here’s what everyone what’s to know, “How Many” ..so this is it

• There are two ways to look at this, 1. “whoa 25K people, that’s huge, what can ever be
done about it?!”
• I mean, this # is roughly 1/3 of everyone in Temple, imagine if 1/3 of the
population in this community were suddenly on the streets or in shelter.
• 2. “only 25K people, I thought the number was much higher”
• In either case there really isn’t a reason we shouldn’t prioritize ending homelessness.
Either you think the number is too large and you want to do something about it before it
reaches epidemic proportions as it has in CA which has 24% of U.S. Homelessness (2018
AHAR) or you think the number is isn’t insurmountable and it’s one we can take care of
if we put a concentered and collaborative effort into doing that.
7
Homelessness in Texas over the years
Nearly 30% decrease in the past 10 years but since

2016 there has been a 12% increase
8
Chronically
Homeless
People who are chronically
homeless have
experienced homelessness
for at least a year – or
repeatedly over a 3 yr
period– while struggling
with a disabling condition
such as a serious mental
illness, substance use
disorder, or physical
disability.
• The CH make up 14% (3,610) of the overall TX

pop. can have an average life expectancy that is
30 or more years less than the averaged housed
person.
• These are the people most often associated with
homelessness b/c they are the most visible and
these are the people experiencing homelessness,
ERs will see most often because of untreated
chronic disease and illnesses and the fact that
being out-of-doors exacerbates health problems.
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We should be asking what
Homelessness costs us
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• Individual and household health is compromised
• Potential exposure to trauma is in increased
• Children are more likely to experience
homelessness as adults
• People ages 25 - 44 experiencing homelessness
face an all-cause mortality risk that is 8.9 times
higher than the general population
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$10.95 billion/yr
The 150,000 chronically homeless people in the

United States cost $10.95 billion per year in public
funds. If these individuals were all permanently
housed, the expense would be expected to fall to
$7.88 billion.
• Homelessness costs taxpayers through

disproportionate use of public health systems
• According to studies chronic homelessness costs
taxpayers an average of $35,578/yr. ER visits
make up a substantial share of this cost.
12
Forbes Article: https://www.forbes.com/2006/08/25/us-homeless-aid-
cx_np_0828oxford.html#625d471f777e
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What should we be doing about
Homelessness
13
Community-wide
commitment to
ending
homelessness
Abilene 100 Day
Challenge – goal was to
house 50 people in 100
days – 64 ended up
being housed
• communities have worked hard to reduce the size of this population by 16% since 2015
and four cities have effectively ended Veteran homelessness (Abilene, Austin, Houston,
and San Antonio)
• criteria: the community has identified all veterans experiencing homelessness; the
community provides shelter immediately to any veteran experiencing unsheltered
homelessness who wants it ; the community has capacity to assist veterans to swiftly
move into permanent housing: the community has resources, plans, and system
capacity in place should any veteran become homeless or be at risk of homelessness in
the future
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•We know that in communities where people are
spending nearly one-third of their income on rent
we can expect a more rapid increase in
homelessness….
•Deeply affordable housing and hsg subsidies;
•and permanent supportive housing along with the
employment of a housing first model: moving
people into to housing out of homelessness without
preconditions, once in they can pursue personal
goals and improve their quality of life which, in turn,
adds to the quality of the community
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•Housing first works, communities looking at “frequent use” data have found housing the
homeless cost is efficient and effective.
•Utilizing Rapid Re-housing pairs well with ending family homelessness, communities that
open units for this use have success
Almost everyone will agree to come inside if they are approached respectfully and offered
actual housing, not just temporary shelter. Perhaps the clearest repudiation of the
housing-resistance myth is Los Angeles County's Project 50. Begun in late 2007, it sought to
house the most vulnerable and chronically homeless adults living on skid row. Four years
later, only 20 participants had left the project and 94 people were still living in stable
housing.
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2019 Snapshot of Homelessness in TX

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2019 Snapshot of Homelessness in TX

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Snapshot of

Strategies For Change

Leads communities in Texas so that

The communities that

And THN is the lead

A CoC or Homeless Crisis Response system:

A community- The geographic A program

1. A community-based planning network for

• Here’s what everyone what’s to know, “How Many” ..so this is it

Nearly 30% decrease in the past 10 years but since

• The CH make up 14% (3,610) of the overall TX

The 150,000 chronically homeless people in the

• Homelessness costs taxpayers through

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