Texas Flood Relief

In response to the devastating Texas floods, House the Homeless Board President Will Hyatt and longtime advocate P.J. Liles have joined recovery efforts on the ground in Kerr County, one of the hardest-hit areas. Torrential rains caused the Guadalupe River to rise more than 26 feet in under an hour,
overwhelming roads, camps, and homes. The damage is staggering.

Please pray for the families whose children and loved ones were lost in the floods, and remember all those suffering in Kerr County and other Texas communities still reeling from this historic disaster.

2024 Year in Review

Boots on the Ground.

We continue to advocate with and on behalf of our unhoused neighbors. We go into camps and wherever we find individuals and families in need. We provide the information necessary to navigate assistance and to secure sustainable housing. We recently updated and added to the 60-plus listings in our uniquely portable and durable “Plastic Pocket Resource Guides.”…

The House the Homeless (HtH) Plastic Pocket Resource Guides (18th Edition)

House the Homeless’ Plastic Pocket Resource Guides (18th Edition) remain available in limited supply. These durable, waterproof, fold-out guides were created by founder Richard R. Troxell to connect unhoused individuals with critical local resources—such as shelter, meals, healthcare, and crisis services.

To request guides or include them in your outreach efforts, please contact us directly. Donations help us continue printing and distributing this vital tool.

The Veterans Day Parade

The Veterans Day Parade on November 11, 2025, will feature House the Homeless among its participants in Austin. The parade is set to start at 9:00 am, moving along Congress Avenue from the Bridge to the Capitol Building

Available where books are sold!

In Short Stories in a Long Journey, Richard R. Troxell provides resources, decades of stories, and details of his local and national efforts to End and Prevent Homelessness.

All proceeds benefit persons experiencing homelessness.

Livable Incomes

Richard R. Troxell created Universal Living Wage campaign over two decades ago to index minimum wages based on the cost of housing wherever a person works so they can afford basic housing; and he added a solution for those who cannot work; i.e. increase the social security stipend for those who cannot work.

Tentative Date: January 1st, 2026 HtH HUGSS Event

Be our guest – volunteers welcome – at our 33nd Annual HUGSS GIVE Party. Hot meal with dessert & packs stuffed with new clothing items & helps for Winter survival.

NEW YEAR’S DAY, January 1st

House the Homeless, Inc., founded in 1989, is the oldest, all volunteer, action organization in Texas working to prevent and end homelessness. Our mission is education and advocacy around issues of homelessness. Our goal is prevention and doable solutions, including how to end to economic homelessness here and across the nation. HtH considers all homeless and formerly homeless individuals to be members of this 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit corporation. We strive to ensure that the makeup of our Board of Directors generally not fall below 50% of individuals who were formerly homeless or are currently experiencing homelessness.

New Board President: Will Hyatt

House the Homeless, Inc. is pleased to announce Will Hyatt as our new Board President. Elected at the recent Annual Meeting, Will moves into this leadership role after serving as Vice President. A longtime advocate and active member of HtH, Will brings deep commitment, lived experience awareness, and a strong vision for housing justice. We’re excited for his leadership in guiding our mission forward .

Pastor Will, as he is known, is actively meeting with City Council members and others. Following is an update from David Gray, the City’s Homeless Strategy Officer– a man with a heart for those experiencing homelessness. HtH continues to advocate for all being displaced, for their belongings to be retained, and more, as well as City budgeting of adequate housing resources.

Austin Homeless Strategy Update:
David Gray, Homeless Strategy Officer, City of Austin

Encampment Transitions (Mid-Year)

– 28 individuals recently transitioned from a high-risk Country Club Creek encampment into shelters such as Northbridge, Southbridge, and the Marshalling Yard.
– In the past year, four camps—Barton Creek Greenbelt, Williamson Creek East, Indian Grass Prairie, and North Walnut Creek—were cleared, relocating 63 people into indoor settings.
– Since June 2021, nearly 1,024 individuals have been moved from unsafe camps into shelters through the HEAL Initiative.

Point-In-Time (PIT) Count

– 2025 PIT Count (Jan 25–26): 3,238 people counted in Austin–Travis County—1,661 sheltered and 1,577 unsheltered, marking the first time more individuals are counted as sheltered than those found to be unsheltered.
– 2024 HUD estimate: Approximately 2,975 individuals experiencing homelessness in Greater Austin—this includes both unsheltered individuals counted by volunteers and sheltered residents documented through emergency shelters, transitional housing, and safe havens.

Events & News

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Read the Stories & Take Action

Winter Holidays

We will not attempt to pluck at the reader’s heartstrings with reminders of how many children in America are having a lousy winter holiday season, with no chimney for Santa to descend, or any cultural equivalent of that gift-expectancy concept. Why not make the...

Austin Is All About HUGGS

Like cars and sprinkler systems, people who live outdoors need to be winterized. For this, they need Hats; Underwear of the thermal variety; Gloves; Scarves, and Socks. (Also, rain ponchos, safety whistles, and 2-oz hand sanitizers, but there were a lot of initials...

The Anti-Good Samaritan Bill

This spring in St. Louis, Missouri, an alderman proposed a bill that would effectively criminalize the unlicensed giving of anything to homeless people. Such items as blankets and bottled water could only be distributed if the giver had a vending license. Reverend...

“Housing Not Handcuffs” Paints a Grim Picture

We recommend our own newsletter’s succinct description of the report on the criminalization of homelessness, recently released by the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty. Of this effort, House the Homeless President Richard R. Troxell says: Advocates...

Berkeley as Microcosm

Because Berkeley, California, is such a quintessentially American city, things that happen there gain resonance. For background, see “A Berkeley Tale” which talks about last year, and “Activism in Berkeley,” which covers the more recent past. Today’s post mentions...

A Berkeley Tale

Berkeley, California, is one of the most progressive, ornery, and distinctive cities in the USA. This time last year, City Councilwoman Linda Maio faced some conflict over Ohlone Park, a three-block-long urban oasis that she helped create 42 years before. In recent...

Activism in Berkeley

Back in the 1960s, Berkeley, California, was the epicenter of the Free Speech Movement, and of vehement objection to the Vietnam war, as well as a mecca for women’s rights activism. The city’s radicals were always marching against things and occupying places, not to...

Ultimate Sacrifices

Every now and then, House the Homeless explores the difficulties encountered by people who help the unhoused. “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” related the story of how David Henderson, editor of Poverty Insights, bought a Greyhound bus ticket for someone else and...

Penalizing the Helpers

Among all the tactics used to make war on people experiencing homelessness, one of the most insidious is penalizing their allies. A while back, we published a post titled “Helping the Homeless: No Good Deed Goes Unpunished” and, more recently, one called “People Who...

The Starfish Conundrum

There are many versions of the starfish story. Here is one. A man walking along a shore covered with washed-up, dying starfish notices a boy throwing them back into the ocean, one by one. The man says to the boy that there are miles and miles of beach and hundreds of...