Category: Partners

Leadership in Housing

Despite the capital city’s continued economic growth, many Austin residents are feeling the pinch of an increasingly unaffordable housing market. From 2010 to 2017, metro Austin’s population grew by an average of 55,500 people per year, pushing the housing market occupancy rate to 98 percent. Austin’s lack of affordable housing has a direct impact on housing instability and homelessness—which has risen 5% each of the last three years—and disproportionately affects people of color and other marginalized communities. The Austin Strategic Housing Blueprint states that between 2018 and 2027, the city needs approximately 60,000 new or preserved residential units for households earning 80% or less of median family income and an additional 75,000 units for households earning above that threshold.

Faced with these challenges, elected officials, government agencies, and community organizations are working together to ensure that everyone in Austin can afford a home that meets their needs. “Austin is a great city.  No person should have to live under a bridge, in a creek bed, or in a car,” said City Council Member Ann Kitchen, who serves as the Vice Chair of the Housing & Community Development Committee. Kitchen, an attorney and health care consultant by profession, recognizes the significance of housing as a health intervention and has worked tirelessly to end homelessness in our community since her election to Council. “We know we must provide people the services and caring support necessary to help them stabilize their lives and create a path to permanent housing.  Not only is it the financially wise thing to do, but more importantly it is the right thing to do, what we must do,” said Kitchen.  

Austin Public Health, which funds contracts with nonprofits to provide prevention, outreach, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing, also has been encouraged by recent developments in the housing space. “City leadership recognizes the importance of this issue,” said Adrienne Sturrup, Assistant Director of Health Equity and Community Engagement at Austin Public Health. “This is a good opportunity to figure out what’s next for housing. The equity piece is at the forefront, and our response will be thoughtful and intentional. We’re approaching this in the right way,” said Sturrup. With years of experience in direct service provision, Sturrup has a keen understanding of the challenges community organizations face in delivering services. For Sturrup, empathy is key to forming strong partnerships between the city and providers—especially as they work together to serve individuals who need additional supports to remain successfully housed.

“We’re very lucky in our community to have multiple organizations that do permanent supportive housing and provide wraparound services that help people lead healthy lives,” said Vella Karman, Social Services Policy Unit Manager at Austin Public Health. Karman explained that permanent supportive housing has long been a city priority, with City Council pushing forward several resolutions over the last few years. “Permanent supportive housing is an important intervention for many members of our community and offers ongoing support for people with multiple chronic conditions who wouldn’t be able to maintain housing otherwise,” said Karman. One of Austin Community 10-Year Affordable Housing Goals includes building or preserving 20,000 housing units specifically for individuals at 30% MFI or below, including permanent supportive housing.

Fortunately, there is ample community buy-in to support affordable housing initiatives, including permanent supportive housing, and it’s showing at the polls. According to Karman, the community is starting to understand some of the barriers—such as chronic health conditions or criminal justice involvement—that people have to overcome to secure housing. This past November, Austinites overwhelmingly voted in favor of a $250 million affordable housing bond, with 73% of voters saying yes to Proposition A. “The bond approved by the voters is exciting,” said Karman. With the backing of Austin residents and committed city leadership, Austin is poised to address affordable housing in a way that takes into account the unique challenges facing our community. 

At the Topfer Family Health Center, Integral Care and CommUnityCare Clinic work together to provide behavioral and primary health care for more than 200 residents of Community First! Village, a permanent supportive housing community. Check out our blog to learn more about our collaboration and the future of integrated care at Community First! Village.

As Mobile Loaves & Fishes expanded from delivering food to individuals experiencing homelessness to creating a permanent supportive housing community at Community First! Village, the organization was guided by one foundational principle: housing will never solve homelessness, but community will. Community First! Village is home to more than 200 individuals who formerly experienced chronic homelessness. In addition to housing, these residents have access to gardens, an art studio, an outdoor movie theater, an onsite medical facility, and various other resources to build their health and well-being. This innovative residential program is supported by a wide variety of nonprofits, businesses, volunteers, and community members, all of whom are helping to build community onsite.  

“The organizations providing services here are brought together by shared love for our neighbors,” said Amber Fogarty, President and Chief Goodness Officer of Mobile Loaves & Fishes. For Fogarty, developing strong partnerships was key to providing residents with the services and resources they need. “We know our neighbors well, but we aren’t experts in everything that they need. We have amazing organizations in our community that already do those things.” When they were living on the streets, these individuals often could not access one crucial resource: health care. 

According to Fogarty, offering onsite health care was a priority from the community’s inception, as many individuals experiencing homelessness also have significant medical and mental health needs. “We want to provide the best care possible for our neighbors,” she said, which includes ensuring access to behavioral health and primary health care in one convenient, easily accessible location.  To meet this need, Community First! Village partnered with Integral Care and CommUnityCare to deliver behavioral and primary health care at the Topfer Family Health Resource Center, an onsite medical facility.  Integral Care has an onsite team of mental health professionals available five days a week.  CommUnityCare’s mobile team is available onsite twice a week to work hand in hand with the Integral Care team in addressing medical and mental health care issues. The same staff members are available each week to ensure continuity of care for residents.

Jaeson Fournier, Chief Executive Officer of CommUnityCare, stressed the importance of this collaborative work. While the two organizations currently co-locate and work in coordination, he believes that there is an opportunity to advance integrated care at Community First! Village. “We have been working to develop a model of care with a much greater level of integration,” Fournier said. “We are distinct entities, but that should mostly be behind the scenes. To a patient, we should really be serving as one team.” For a population with high-intensity needs, such as the residents of Community First! Village, fully integrated care is critical. Over the next few years, Mobile Loaves & Fishes will expand Community First! Village to provide additional housing and resources for individuals transitioning out of homelessness. During Phase II of development, the organization will also open a new onsite clinic that will increase its current healthcare offerings. At this new, 10,000 square foot facility, Integral Care and CommUnityCare will partner to deliver fully integrated care not only to residents, but they will also provide services to the surrounding neighborhood.