Between 2008 and 2010, House the Homeless (HtH) conducted several surveys and gathered other surveys conducted by both the City of Austin and the City of Houston that demonstrated that a majority of people experiencing homelessness want to work. To that end, we have been collaborating with Mobile Loaves and Fishes in our “Let’s Get to Work” Jobs Initiative. A more recent survey conducted in 2010 by House the Homeless shows that 48%, or about half, of those experiencing homelessness, are suffering debilitating health problems that are so severe that they are rendered incapable of working.

472 of the 501 people surveyed in this most recent survey felt that they periodically needed to sit down and rest from time to time, but 94% said they were unable to do so as they could not find a bench. Compounding the situation, there exists a “Quality of Life” ordinance in Austin that prevents people from sitting or lying down making them subject to fines of up to $500. This ordinance contains only one medical exception and that’s for people already sitting in a wheel chair. There aren’t even exceptions for people on crutches or using orthopedic leg braces. With health concerns ranging from Degenerative Heart Disease to Parkinson’s Disease to Degenerative Rheumatoid Arthritis, half of the homeless population is in need of exceptions to the ordinance.

We are now promoting 19 possible exceptions that range from Disability Award letters from the Social Security Administration or the Veterans Administration to participant letters in the David Powell-AIDS Program to people standing in line at a health clinic and so on. Two city-wide stakeholder meetings resulted in two additional recommended exemptions: evidence of taking psychiatric medications or when the heat index hits 100 degrees or more.

House the Homeless has met with all members of City Council and received favorable support. We pointed out that if exceptions are granted (as they should be) then people will be sitting down all over the city. We do not feel that people suffering disabilities should be sitting on the sidewalks etc. House the Homeless took 350 signatures of people requesting benches to the Mayor. We think that as we encourage people to be more “Green” and to leave their automobiles to create a “world class city” we should provide an ample number of benches to accommodate all citizens. This should include pregnant women, people with Christmas packages and those suffering disabilities. In response, Mayor Lee Leffingwell has directed the City Council Health and Human Services Committee to review the 19 “exemptions” requested by HtH and consider benches as part of the mitigation response.

Some social service providers have been opposed to benches suggesting their use may lead to illegal drug sales. HtH contends that drugs can be sold in either a sitting or standing position and in any event, this is a question of enforcement. The benches that House the Homeless recommends have center dividers so as to deter lying down.

The “Stakeholders” who attended the two meetings consisted of the Downtown Austin Alliance, The Austin Chamber of Commerce, about 10 uniformed police officers, their attorney, an attorney for Travis County, Downtown Community Court, City Staffers, a representative from the Omni and the Driscoll Hotels, downtown neighbors, representatives from the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, ARCH and a representative from Caritas. They were all joined in opposition and led by Charles Betts from the Downtown Austin Alliance. As a group and to the last person, they opposed any exceptions or any additional benches intended to be a response to this issue. Really? A doctor working for the United States Government determines that a person is disabled after a process that often takes up to 15 months to complete its findings is somehow unacceptable to this group? Or finding of a disability of a Military Medical Review Team for a person willing to sacrifice a leg in Afghanistan is unworthy of either an exception or a bench?

Today, HTH continues to look toward the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as possible legal recourse to provide the health relief associated with this issue.

Finally, City staff members have reported that “the Ordinance is working.” Really? For whom? In reviewing COA No Sit/No Lying Down ord. citations secured under the Open Records Act, the Community Court showed 2,729 tickets were issued between January 2009 through December 31st 2009. 70 tickets were subsequently dismissed with 708 convictions. So while the HtH survey indicated 48% of these folks had major disabilities, only 2.3% were dismissed on the basis of disability throu gh the court. At the same time, it has been observed by advocates that this ordinance has been used indiscriminately to sweep areas of people regardless of their disabilities. Using the Community Court as a filtering mechanism, in this instance, has proven unduly burdensome on this disabled population and ineffective. It would seem more humane and more cost effective to properly train police officers in an amended ordinance that clearly states specific exceptions.

While it is recommended that a strict list of exemptions be identified by Council, it is nonetheless the belief of HtH that the best common sense, practical response to the issue in a city seeking to attain world class stature, would be for us to simply provide an ample supply of benches available to all citizens.

At one point in time, it seemed okay to value other people in this country as 3/5th’s of that of other people. Almost everyone lined up behind that concept…but not everyone.

Richard R. Troxell
President, House The Homeless0

CONFIDENTIAL HEALTH SURVEY RESULTS     
by Richard R. Troxell

Once again, House the Homeless has conducted a survey of people experiencing Homelessness.  This brief survey focuses on core health issues.  The survey was conducted at the 9th Annual House the Homeless, Thermal Underwear Give Away Party conducted January 1st 2010 in Austin Texas.

 These are the results of the House the Homeless health survey conducted at the 9th annual House the Homeless Thermal Underwear Give Away Party.  We interviewed 501 people experiencing homelessness.  We found the results a bit shocking and very pointed.  We have sent the results and suggestions with recommended changes to Michael Stoops where he will adapt for AmeriCorp survey in Florida and Georgia. We had four principle goals in conducting the survey: 1) gather core health information, 2) address the No Sitting/No Lying Down “Quality of Life” Ordnance in a pyramidal/progressive fashion, 3) address the unsympathetic characterizations that depicts people  experiencing homelessness as unworthy of our nations sympathy and resources and 4) lay the ground work for a possible ADA lawsuit.

1) Males 408               Females 85     Transgender 8             Average Age 45.08    

Average Yrs in Austin 14.30          TOTAL 501

2)  Do you get a Disability Check?  Yes – 9, with 10 pending.

 Type:  SSI 64     SSDI 33    VA 8    VA and SSDI 3 = 108 Total Benefit Recipients

How much do you get each month total?  $685.55 – Average monthly benefit total

3)  Do you have a Mobility Impaired Bus card?  Yes – 116 total, plus 10 pending 

4) Check ALL that apply.  Do you have?…

     High blood pressure 204    Mental Illness 175      What Type?  Schizophrenia 16

                                                                                                          Bi-Polar 86

     Diabetes 84                                    Shots 16                      Panic Attacks 70

     Arthritis 123                      HIV/AIDS 10              Seizures 45

 Regular illegal drug user? Yes – 59

     Do you believe you are an alcoholic? Yes – 92

5) Have you ever had a brain injury? Yes – 83

6)  Do you have cancer? Yes – 83

What type?           Prostrate          6

                              Throat             3

                              Liver               3

                              Testicular        2

                              Cervical          2

                              Bone                2

                              Skin                 2

                              Kidney                       2

                              Colon              1

                              Lymphoma      1

                              Fibroid                        1

                              Pancreatic       1

                              Hodgkins          1

7) What other serious disease or condition do you have?

            Debilitating Chronic Back Pain                                             21

Debilitating Chronic Knee Pain                                             14

COPD                                                                                      11

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)                                 9

Asthma                                                                                    8

            ADHD                                                                                     6

            Generalized Pain                                                                    4

            Anxiety                                                                                   4

            Fibromyalgia                                                                          4

            Metal Plates/Ankle                                                                 3

            Hypoglycemic                                                                                    3

            Stroke                                                                                      3

            Sciatica                                                                                   3

            Emphysema                                                                            3

            Hip Problems                                                                          3

Heart Disease                                                                          2

High Cholesterol                                                                    2

ADD                                                                                        2

Intestinal Hernia – Massive                                                    2

GERD                                                                                     2

Metallic Ankle                                                                        2

Neuropathy                                                                             2

Paranoid Schizophrenic                                                          2

Hyper Active Deficit Disorder                                               2

Pancreatic                                                                               2

Eye Injury                                                                               2

Severe Hearing Loss                                                               2

Chronic Viral Bronchitis                                                        2

Degenerative Joint Disease                                                    2

Carpal Tunnel                                                                         2

High Cholesterol                                                                    2

Glaucoma                                                                               2

Degenerative Bone Disease                                                 2

Neurological Disorder                                                            2

Tinnitus                                                                                   2

Shoulder Plate                                                                        2

Scoliosis                                                                                  2

Circulatory Problems                                                             2

7) CONTINUED:  What other serious disease or condition do you have?     

            Sleep Apnea                                                                            1

            Hyperthyroid                                                                          1

            Graves Disease                                                                       1

Pregnant                                                                                  1

            OC Disorders                                                                          1

            Walking Pneumonia                                                               1

            Delusions                                                                                1

            Cirrhosis                                                                                 1

            Dizziness                                                                                1

            Bad Feet Due to Circulation                                                  1

Arterial Sclerosis                                                                    1

Irritable Bowel Syndrome                                                      1

Muscle Control Loss                                                               1

Kidney Disease                                                                       1

Degenerative Rheumatoid Arthritis                                       1

Degenerative Disc Disease                                                     1

Phlebitis                                                                                  1

Standing and Mobility Issues                                                 1

Missing Digits                                                                        1

Tendonitis                                                                               1

Brain Bleeds                                                                           1

Hip Replacement                                                                    1

Cirrhosis of the Liver                                                             1

Broken Pelvis                                                                         1

Hepatitis B                                                                              1

Anti-Social Behavior                                                              1

Heart Pacemaker (Endocarditic)                                            1

Heart Murmur                                                                         1

Faucet Disease                                                                        1

Totally Blind in One Eye                                                       1

Thyroid                                                                                   1

Gunshot wound (GSW) to Head                                             1

Degenerative Nerve Disease                                                  1

Parkinson’s Disease                                                                1

Gall Stones                                                                             1

Chronic Gastritis                                                                    1

Plate in Elbow                                                                                    1

Chronic Ulcers                                                                        1

Osteoporosis                                                                           1

Degenerative Heart Disease                                                   1                                         

     Acid Reflux                                                                            1

Hallucinations                                                                        1

Arm Amputated                                                                      1

8) Are any of these conditions keeping you from working?  Yes – 241

9) Do you smoke cigarettes?  Yes – 381

            Less than 10 per day               130

            About ½ pack per day             78

            About 1 pack per day             129

            About 1 and ½ packs per day   23

            About 2 packs per day                          15

            More than 2 packs per day         1

10) Do you have severe shortness of breath?  Yes – 145

      Do you ever need to stop and rest when you are walking before you can continue?

      Yes – 330

11) Have you ever needed to sit down and been unable to locate a bench? Yes – 472        

                                                            END

METHODOLOGIES

On January 1st, 2010 at the 9th Annual House the Homeless Thermal Underwear Party, members of House the Homeless surveyed all  event participants by providing each person with

a confidential questionnaire while they waited in line for the event to begin.  501 surveys were successfully completed while 12 were rejected  as unintelligible.

IN THE FUTURE ADD:

1)         How long have you been  homeless?

2)         Need to box together the questions:  Do you have seizures?   and  Do you ever lose

            control?  Otherwise, people are marking that they loose control while not alleging          

that they are having seizures.

3)         Need to flesh out the alcohol question.

ADD:

      When was your last drink?

      How many beers/wine, hard drinks did you have?

      Did you drink most every day?

      Out of the last seven days, how many days did you have drinks (beer/wine or hard

      liquor?  1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

      If you had more money, would you have drunk more?  Yes/No

ADD:

4)         Do you have a criminal background that is keeping you from working?

OBSERVATIONS:

•    To obtain the greatest percent response to each question it is recommended that all surveys are administered by an interviewer on a one-to-one basis.
•  Men taking the survey out numbered the women by almost 5-1.
•  The average age of “single” homeless survey resulted in an average age of 45, which equates to the general conception of the general population.
•  The average number of years in Austin (14.30) indicates that the term “transient” is a misnomer, as these individuals are clearly long-term members of our community.
• Given the number of persons experiencing various types of cancer (26) and number of people with other disabling conditions (186) as when compared to those receiving disability benefits (108) indicates that this is again a seriously under served faction of our community.
• Of those surveyed, 241 said that a health condition keeps them for working (48.10%).
• 381 surveyed said they smoked a significant amount of cigarettes per day ranging from “less than 10” (130) and “about 2 packs per day” (15) with the heaviest concentration smoking “about 1 pack per day” (129).  With 381 of the 501 persons surveyed yielding 76.04% overall one can see a possible relationship between this and the perspective that cigarette smoking is the number one cause of death among people experiencing homelessness.
• Not surprisingly, 145 folks said that they experienced shortness of breath, with 330 people finding that they “needed to stop and rest when walking before they were able to continue.”
• Finally, 472 or 94.21% of all surveyed said that when they needed to sit down, they were “unable to locate a bench.”

March 2010 Action Response to the 2010 House the Homeless Health Survey, above, Addressing Necessary Exceptions to the City of Austin No Sitting/Lying Down Ordinance  by Richard R. Troxell

House the Homeless wishes to respond to the health needs expressed by people experiencing homelessness in the 2010 Health Survey to sit down when necessary.  We have sent the following recommendations to the Austin City Council for recommendation by the Health and Human Services City Council Committee.  We anticipate “consent” passage on April 8th with return and recommendations to Council within 60 days.

Presently, the No Sitting/No Lying Down Ordinance forbids sitting in the downtown area with the only health exceptions being for people relegated to wheel-chairs. however, there are other people with significant health issues who should also be exempted from the ordinance.

Whereas 501 people experiencing homelessness were surveyed exposing the fact that 241 of them have dire health conditions severe enough to keep them from working ranging from degenerative nerve disease to bone cancer to debilitating, chronic back pain, and

Whereas, 145 of them expressed severe shortness of breath, and

Whereas, 472 of the 501 surveyed stated when they needed to sit down, they were unable to locate a bench.

Should Therefore be permitted to sit down without fear of reprisal or of being ticketed when presenting any of the following documents or evidence-

-A Mobility Impaired Bus Pass

-Documentation of Hospital Care within the previous two weeks

-Documentation of Food Stamp Work exemption

-An Award letter from the Social Security Administration for Disability

-Documentation of Recuperative-Care within the previous two weeks

-A doctor’s note of disability

-A Letter of disability from DARS

-A letter of participation at the David Powell Clinic

-A letter of participation f/t Community Court for Court Ordered Substance Abuse Treatment

-A letter of participation with the Austin Recovery Center

-Evidence of participation in a Physical or Occupational Therapy Program

-Any person in line to get health services

-Any person using a cane, crutches, or walker0

HOUSE THE HOMELESS

Ending Homelessness from a Socio-economic Perspective

by Richard R. Troxell

Livable Incomes Coordinator

National Coalition for the Homeless

News Flash; If you think that we can just put homeless people back into a broken socio-economic system …think again.

As we look at the socio-economic condition of homelessness, we recognize that we can view homelessness into two major categories, those who can work and those who cannot work.  

Hard working people are falling out of our work force. They are ending up homeless on our streets.  We see these people as broken individuals standing on our street corners, painfully visible and asking for help; some call it begging, others know it as panhandling.  In any event, they are no longer seen as members of a family that they once were.  Now, she lives in a shelter and he stands on a street corner…broken and pleading for help from his fellow human beings. 

We respond as best we know how.  We, “the community,” brush these individuals off, detoxify, them, teach them the art of resume writing and interview talking and place them into jobs and point them to the general housing market.  Well done!  Bravo!  Everyone pitched in to help.  The entire community rallied behind our needy…our homeless.  But what has really occurred?  Who knows?  Without follow-up evaluation one year later, we won’t learn if the minimum wage job or even the $10.00 per hour job into which they were placed was or wasn’t enough to sustain them through the economic bumps ahead.  However, we do know that the minimum dollar amount needed to sustain them can be simply stated with the phrase: “Living Wage.”   A “Living Wage” is the base amount necessary for a person to afford basic food, clothing and shelter…no more no less.  This is the same vision and understanding embraced by the U.S. Congress following the Crash of 1929 and the subsequent Great Depression in the 1930s.  Then, in 1938, in response to the wage problem, the U.S. Congress created the Federal Minimum Wage.  This worked fairly well until the 1980s when because the wage was not indexed to the cost of living, or anything for that matter, our nation’s housing rents outstripped the wage being earned.  So now we must “reset” the wage just like a clock and index the wage to the local cost of housing throughout the entire United States.  Therefore, that is what we have done.  Using existing Government Guidelines, we have devised a single national formula that ensures that if a person works 40 hours in a week, they will be able to afford basic food, clothing, and shelter (including utilities).  In other words, a roof over their heads…other than a bridge. 

But in further examining the idea of simply putting people back into the work force, we must explore what that looks like. Minimum wage workers work 5-6 days a week, fifty-two weeks a year.  They are only assured (hopefully) of a day off to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Additionally, he rigorous demands of daily work are ever accelerating and continue to expand exponentially.  Think about the technological advances in the last ten years alone that range from desk top computers to laptops, cell phones, camera phones, Blackberries and i-phones with Apps.  Think of the world as a merry-go-round full of a dozen kids spinning like crazy and holding on for dear life.  As the merry-go-round accelerates, regardless of the strength of their white knuckle grips, some can’t hold on and they go flying off as the speed continues to increase.  It’s the same in the work place.  Minimum wage workers don’t get two weeks paid vacation.  They don’t get vacation time, personal time or even the luxury of getting sick.  Minimum wage workers are subject to endless stress.  As the stress demands increase, so does the pressure on the individual worker.  They must show up day in and day out regardless of their problems at home, their energy levels, or routine bouts of depression.  The instant they say, “I can’t go in tomorrow, I’m calling in sick,” they get replaced. They spin off the merry go-round of life and end up homeless on the streets of America.

It makes little or no difference what kind of worker you’ve been.  To the employer, what matters is that you show up day in and day out…no matter what.  Failure to show up every single day will get the minimum wage worker the instant boot.  Someone else is waiting in the wings who is desperate to fill the worker’s vacant slot.  Clearly, the employer must have workers present everyday to accomplish what needs to be done to advance the business.

But what if we start “thinking outside the box with both employer and employee’s welfare in mind?  Example:  Employer with financial means purchases production equipment beyond the means of the individual workers such as a $5,000 hot dog stand.  The employer leases the use of the equipment to an individual worker or workers.  The worker operates the equipment on a daily basis as one would expect.  However, to address the employee needs for time-off, another (swing) worker is tapped to come to work and fill in the vacant times so that the equipment is used to its fullest. This is referred to as “flex” work.  In this fashion, both the employer and the employee attain what they need and want: job stability and economic growth.  This is one simple example of the kind of change and flexibility needed to enhance our chances of successfully ending homelessness for workers. 

For those who cannot work, the U.S. Congress established a government based financial support system, Supplemental Security Income, SSI, designed to provide a small monthly monetary stipend.  This is presently set at $674 nationwide.

However, ours is a nation of thousands of local economies ranging from poverty in Clay, West Virginia to the opulence of New York City. And yet, the current approach is to award a single uniform dollar amount to every individual with disabilities no matter where they live throughout America. Clearly, this “one size fits all” approach is an illogical response that has the result of leaving millions of recipients susceptible to the economic forces of homelessness.

This solution is simple.  We must index this stipend to the local cost of housing throughout the United States.  As with the Universal Living Wage, we can use the Housing and Urban Development, HUD, Section 8 Fair Market Rents to ensure that we properly index the SSI stipend to local economies across America.  This will ensure that whether someone is working forty hours in a week or struggling with disabilities, they will be able to afford the basics of life: food, clothing, shelter (utilities included) and have access to the emergency room.  And finally, if others are working by utilizing  flex work days of an unlimited nature, they will be able to re-enter the work force in a calm, productive, stress free manner, that provides them a living and the employer the work performance required for a successful business. 

We are committed to creating the systemic and attitudinal changes necessary to prevent and end homelessness.0

Subject: Immediate help/action required-Worker’s Hotel 
 
On Thursday, January 7th, I testified before The Community Development Commission in response as how best to spend the remaining 34 million dollars in General Operating Housing Bonds that we created in 2006.  Thus far, none of these funds have gone to aid people experiencing homelessness.  It seems to me that tax dollars should be used to aid the truly destitute.  Our meager request  is the only proposal that gets down to the economic level of people living on the street.  Today, I am making a personal plea to you to help us help the truly poor in our City not just the near poor or the housed poor. 

Please send your e-mail, letter of strong support and my core proposal to Kathleen.saenz@ci.austin.tx.us. She is with the Community Development Commission. Ask her to immediately distribute my statement and your letter of support to the entire Commission.  The CDC will make it’s recommendation to City Council before this Thursday. 
 
AND 
 
Most Importantly, please then also send my statement and your strong letter of support to each of the City Council members: 
Lee.Leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us; Mike.Martinez@ci.austin.tx.us; 
Randi.Shade@ci.austin.tx.us; Cheryl.Cole@ci.austin.tx.us; 
Chris.Riley@ci.austin.tx.us; Laura.Morrison@ci.austin.tx.us; 
Bill.Spelmaman@ci.austin.tx.us 
 
Thank you for helping. 
Richard 
 
PS please shoot me an e-mail so I will who was able to accomplish this task.  Thanks again. 
 
Richard R. Troxell, President of House the Homeless, has just testified before the Community Development Commission and made the following recommendation for the expenditure of some of the General  Operating Housing Bonds. 
 
Presentation: By recent head count, there are 4,4,00 people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area.  The last several U.S. 
Conference of Mayors’ reports have stated that at the current Federal Minimum Wage of $7.25/hour, a full time worker is unable to afford basic rental housing, not only in Austin, but also in any urban center across the United States. 

Recently, a firestorm of controversy over highly visible homeless people who are panhandling/soliciting caused the City of Austin to 
commission an  explanatory survey with the University of Texas.  The study showed that 51% of those surveyed, (103), wanted job training, and 52% were looking for work.  Their over-riding common theme was that they were “soliciting for daily survival.” By a more recent House the Homeless survey of 527 people, 90.7% said they would work 40 hours  a week for a living wage.  Additionally, 
37.8% said they were working at the time of the interview.  In fact, these people are helping to build this city even as we speak and yet the wage that they are being paid is insufficient for them to be housed. 

In the past, we had a national network of highly affordable worker rental housing.  The Young Men’s Clubs of America, YMCA, offered single room occupancy units, SROs, where a worker could pay his $10.00, get a cheap room by the day, stash his belongings, get a good nights sleep, get up in the morning well rested, go down the hall, take a shower, and head out to find work.  Every worker was able to chase his own version of the American dream.  That housing network no longer exists.  Now our 4,000 plus people try the impossible task of fitting into only 600 emergency shelter beds by way of nightly lottery or trying to work while living under a bridge.  Well, in November, 2009, House the Homeless read the names of 158 men, women, and children who have lived and died on our streets in the last year alone.  People, businesses, community leaders, and whole neighborhoods are clamoring for relief from the rapidly growing number of homeless people in our streets, on our sidewalks, in our parks, and in our green belts. 

Proposal 

At present, there is no pathway for minimum wage workers to exit homelessness.  There is no single door where we can say, “Line up  here, take that job, work hard, and you can work your way out of homelessness.” 

If our businesses are not going to pay living wages, we can still create a pathway out of homelessness if we create a Workers Hotel.  This would replicate the YMCA format of old.  It would create a pathway and incentive for minimum wage homeless workers to work themselves off the streets of Austin.  The hotel should be located in downtown area at a site like the fallow Young Women’s Club of America, YWCA building on Guadalupe Street. 
 
This is an historic moment in Austin’s history.  We have an incredible opportunity for the Commission and City Council to take the first proactive step in turning the head of homelessness in Austin.  We can’t afford to miss this opportunity.0

On January 1st, we had our 10th annual House The Homeless Thermal Underwear Party.

If you prefer, you may send a check* to:
House the Homeless
P.O. Box 2312
Austin, TX 78758

*A check means that 100% of your dollars goes to those we serve.

On New Year’s Day, House the Homeless, with 40 volunteers from the community and from the First Baptist Church, provided a city wide Thermal Underwear Party for homeless citizens from Austin. Rockin’ Gospel Project provided the music and entertainment while a ham lunch was serviced and participants received thermal tops and bottoms, socks, gloves, hats, and ponchos to help them survive this winter’s weather.

Thank you to Trianon Coffee House, Central Market, Sweetish Hill Bakery, Whole Foods, Texas honey Ham, and JoAnn Koepke and Family for providing many donations to make the holiday lunch a success.

Thank you and Happy New Year to all!

Richard0

Tomie Holmes, 74, passed away this week.  He has been a generous support of House the Homless for years.  You will be missed dear friend. 

God’s Speed,

Richard, Sylvia, Colleen and the Folks at HTH

May 16, 2009
Local Jobs Initiative Model Project
Living Wage Jobs Stimulus Proposal for People Experiencing Homelessness

On May 21, 2009, House the Homeless, Inc., the Texas Homeless Network and the Ending Community Homelessness Organization will host the Let’s Get to Work Forum and Initiative. The forum, comprised of elected officials, employment and human service experts from Texas and across the U.S., discussed how other communities have developed pathways to employment and housing for persons experiencing homelessness.

LET’S GET TO WORK INITIATIVE SYNOPSIS

A multi-organizational Work Collaborative of Businesses, Faith Based organizations and Non-profits in the City of Austin, TX.   A 20 person model.

There are many individuals, our neighbors, who for various reasons (many economic) find themselves experiencing homelessness.  Many of these individuals welcome any opportunity to learn new skills, attain work and earn a self-supporting wage. Traditional avenues of job training and placement are overwhelmed with the current demand for their assistance serving only one in ten applicants at best. The Texas Work Force Commission readily acknowledges that it can only begin to serve the most prepared and capable job seekers. The “Let’s Get to Work Initiative” wishes to address the wasted human potential evidenced by our burgeoning shelters and people standing on our street corners asking for help and work. Statistical surveys conducted by the City of Houston, the City of Austin and two by the House The Homeless organization, all indicate a high desire to work by this population and to work at jobs that pay fair, living wages. We recognize that these individuals are the least qualified and the least capable of entering a traditional re-entry work program. This is a special population with special needs.

The current response to homelessness is to house people temporarily in shelters and then move them into “transitional housing” where they are provided a case worker whose job it is to stabilize their condition, help them attain their independence, and return them to the regular housing and work market.  Unfortunately, the Federal Minimum Wage (currently at $7.25 per hour) will not afford them basic rental housing and so they are unable to “transition out.” Compounding the problem; there has been a tremendous resistance by neighborhoods to the creation and placement of any transitional housing.  The result has been a Continuum of Care system that is incapable of serving the very purpose for which it was intended.

The “Let’s Get to Work Initiative” is intended to solve these problems.  After assessing skill levels, applicants in shelters and in transitional living situations are offered an opportunity to earn a work certificate in about 20 areas of employment (i.e. solar panel installer or phlebotomist, etc.).  By coordinating with local employers, certificate earners and other system graduates, working through a Program Coordinator, are placed in a job. Because the expected level of earning will be at, or just above the minimum wage level, a wage subsidy will be provided the individual.  This will raise their wage to a Living Wage. Program supports will continue up to 18 months or until full self-sufficiency/ economic stability is achieved.

COMMUNITY SPONSORSHIP

This problem is being played out in Austin and cities all across America. The problem of homelessness requires that all community members become community partners. This involves community activists, businesses and faith based organizations. Just as important as it is for businesses to partner with us and employ folks with long work layoffs, we need members of our faith-based community to involve their congregations.  We envision this to be a somewhat costly, long term investment to end homelessness for individuals.  We are seeking a personalized and individualized relationship between one Program Participant, the Program Manager and a Community Sponsoring Organization.  In this scenario, we see a one-on-one relationship where all three entities share their stories, their hopes, their fears and their progress along the way.
LET’S GET TO WORK INITIATIVE
BUDGET

20 Person Model

COSTS:

Program Manager $35,000 add $5,000 admin costs=$40,000.

Living Wage Supports (Difference between the FMW and the Universal Living Wage) $982 per month

Transitional Housing Costs: $1800. per person-one time cost (deposit, 1st and last month’s rent

Misc.: One time cost per Individual: $200.00 i.e. steel toed shoes, hard hat, etc.

Education:  $54 per credit hour   i.e. $2000 to become Fire fighter

Preparedness Training for Workers: ie Literacy, job applications, resume prep, budgeting etc.

IN KIND SAVINGS:

Housing

Case Management

PROGRAM BENEFITS:

Ends Economic Homelessness for each success story

Creates a Ready, Willing, Able and Stable Work Force

Involves the Business Community of Austin in the solution of ending homelessness

Strategically connects the Faith Based Community with those in need in their community

Frees bollixed up valuable transitional housing

Completes the COA Continuum of Care process

Provides opportunity, a pathway, and hope, for people experiencing homelessness

January 7, 2008 
House the Homeless Smashes Homeless Myth
— House the Homeless, Inc. & Keep Austin Housed AmeriCorps Survey Report 1/7/08 
 
On December 25, 2007, House the Homeless and Americorps joined forces at the House the Homeless 8th Annual Thermal Underwear Distribution Party and conducted a survey. Invited to participate were over 600 people who were provided life saving thermal underwear and other winter clothing. 526 people experiencing homelessness voluntarily responded to the survey. Note. A total of 19 additional surveys were discarded as being unintelligible.
Survey Results — 
Q: Do you work? 
yes: 199
no: 327
non-responses: 0
37.8% are working.

Hours of work ranged from 2-3 hours per day to 40+ per week
 
Q: Do you want to work?
yes; 472
no: 48
6 non-responses
89.7% want to work.

Of those responding, 90.8% want to work.
 
Q: What is keeping you from working?
Ranked in order of highest importance:

health issues 62
can’t find work 60
disabled 56
no identification 50
economics/ low wages 21
“me” 18
transportation 17
criminal history/legal 16
need tools/clothes 10
lack experience/education 7
retired/age 6
weather 5
day care 4
new to area 4
personal problems 4
time 2
undocumented 2
ethical concerns 1

Note: Several people cited more than one barrier.
 
Q: Would you work a 40 hour week job if you were sure it would pay you enough for basic food, clothing, and shelter? 
yes: 468
no: 48
non-responses: 10
89% would work a 40 hour week for living wages.

Of those responding, 90.7% would work 40 hours for a living wage.
 
Q: Do you get disability benefits?
yes: 100
no: 426
non-responses: 0
19% receive disability benefits.
Q: Do you have photo ID?
yes: 360
no: 164
non-responses: 2
31.2% need photo identification.

Of those responding, 31.3% need photo ID.
 
Q: What is keeping you from getting ID?
Ranked in order of highest importance.

1. need ID documents to get photo ID 39
2. costs 38
3. application pending 8
3. no reason “me” 8
3. criminal record 8
4. don’t want to miss work 2
5. hopelessness 1
5. time 1
5. health issue (brain injured) 1
 
Q: Are you a Veteran?
yes: 121
no: 401
non-responses: 4
23% are Veterans.

Of those responding, 23.2% are Veterans.
 
Note: 399 signed the survey with either their first name, last name, or both. This was optional.
Note: Statistical significance of the survey: 
The Austin Area Homeless Task Force counted 4,000 people experiencing homelessness in the Austin Area in 2007. With 526 homeless people surveyed, 13.1% of the population was sampled.
If the population of people experiencing homelessness is 6,000 then 8.76% of the population was sampled.

Richard R. Troxell, President of House the Homeless, Inc has declared these to be “Stunning results with national implications!” He went on to say that “Although homeless, over 38% of of these people are working at some point during the week. This means that the Puritan Work Ethic is in tact. Furthemore, it is now clear that what is lacking for many of them to end their homelessness is a Living Wage Job.” 
Mr Troxell is also the National Chairman of the Universal Living Wage Campaign.

Click below to read a pdf copy of Richard’s latest white paper about the nature of criminalization of homelessness across the nation.