As of February 2022, part of Austin City Lutherans’ mission is to combat and prevent homelessness.
John Rockefeller, the Gilded Age oil business titan, became the first billionaire more than 100 years ago around the time of WWI. He was asked at that time, “How much is enough?”
He replied, “Just a little bit more.”
Most likely, the exchange is legendary. But no matter, it fits perfectly.
There’s a positive side to the spirit of “just a little bit more.” We teach it to our kids and grandchildren when we encourage them to seek more knowledge, to work harder, to strive to do their very best. These encouragements can bring about the best attributes of human achievement, helping to make the world a better place.
There’s a negative side, however, to the same spirit of “more.” Typically manifested in economic realities, too much “more” can lead to over-competition, gouging and profiteering, and unbridled greed – all of which help to produce rampant inequalities.
It’s a delicate balance between the two sides of the “more” coin. Rockefeller was chastised and convicted in numerous court cases for his unscrupulous and illegal business practices, yet he became the greatest philanthropist known to history – with positive impacts still realized generations after his passing.
San Francisco, Seattle and Austin
Austin, Texas is an immensely popular city attracting both visitors and new residents. San Francisco and Seattle had similar distinctions in generations past. Austin is currently following a formula that has given these two West Coast cities their now entrenched difficulties with homelessness. Popular destinations can experience housing shortages, resulting in rising rents and mortgages, which in turn forces such a city’s own residents – those living paycheck to paycheck – into the streets.
If the guiding spirit of “more” – growth, in Austin’s case – is not properly managed, affordable housing becomes a huge issue and need.
ECHO (Ending Community Homelessness Coalition), Austin’s lead non-profit organization for coordinating community-wide strategies to end homelessness in Austin and Travis County, was established a decade ago precisely because Austin’s growth was producing more homelessness. ECHO determined in 2019 that 87 percent of persons experiencing homelessness in the Austin area started their homeless journey in Texas. In other words, people already experiencing homelessness in colder climates like Chicago, Detroit, and Cleveland did not drive or hitchhike down to Austin to live under a bridge because it’s warmer here. That’s a myth. The truth is that rising rent/mortgage prices in a city bring about homelessness more than any other factor.
Austin, in many ways a wonderful city as are San Francisco and Seattle, is now saddled with economic inequalities that have exacerbated all levels of homelessness – including “couch surfing,” families doubling up in one apartment, and people living in their cars. With the Covid-era evictions moratorium a thing of the past, such situations put persons mere steps away from living under bridges and camping in the woods.
Rents at apartment complexes in SE Austin, one of the most affordable parts of the city, are now in the $1,500/month and up range. The average price in Austin for a one-bedroom apartment is now $1,550.
It’s recommended that people spend no more than 30 percent of their income on rent or mortgage. Forty percent of Austin residents are now classified as “cost-burdened,” spending more than 30 of their income on rent. Half of these spend more than 50 percent of their income on rent – classified as “severely cost-burdened.” An increasing pool of cost-burdened renters is a harbinger of more homelessness to come.
Thankfully, City of Austin and Travis County leaders have embarked on a $515 million strategy to prevent and combat homelessness. It’s never too late, but in all honesty, this plan was needed a decade ago. Homelessness will continue to be a visible and devastating reality in Austin for years to come, even as good work is done to combat and prevent it.
Austin City Lutherans
ACL focuses on four strategies in its efforts, partnering with others, to combat and prevent homelessness:
- Navigation – We’ll encourage and help unhoused neighbors sign up for “Coordinated Assessment,” the first step in transitioning from street to shelter.
- Support Teams – As we interact with unhoused neighbors, our “Necessities Support Team” will provide furniture, clothing, childcare and rent assistance (as available), and other necessities; our “Tech Support Team” will provide facility for SNAP, Social Security, Texas Workforce scholarships for childcare and other registrations.
- Use of Church Property and Resources – We’ll encourage ACL congregations to leverage resources – properties, funds, buildings – to help unhoused neighbors in transition.
- Education, Awareness, Advocacy – We’ll continue to educate ourselves and work with partners, private and public, to be part of the growing effort in Austin to combat homelessness.
After ten years of “More, Better, Together,” Austin City Lutherans understands that its efforts, including Bread For All Food Pantry and Mariposa Family Learning Center, are in many ways focused on preventing homelessness. Families who are able to supplement their kitchen stocks at the food pantry – equivalent to $75 or more at each distribution – are that much more able to pay their rent. Other families who are able to receive subsidies upwards of $1200 a month for childcare are also that much more able to pay their rent, (and their toddlers receive high-quality education and care, making a brighter future more accessible). Other families – typically led by single moms – who receive rental assistance and furniture supports (in the case of a new move-in) are able to stabilize their living situations, keeping them off the streets.
Just about everyone needs a “little bit more,” but some certainly more than others. Austin City Lutherans stands alongside those who are in greater need. May God lift them up through our efforts.