AUSTIN, Texas — In Austin, the demand for food and rent assistance is surging.
New data shows that neighborhood centers in Austin saw more than double the number of people needing assistance for things like food, rent and utilities.
In 2023, 64,000 people were served at local food distribution events. Through that same time frame in 2022, only 26,694 people were served. One of the biggest reasons is the overall cost of living in Austin.
On Wednesdays, the Montopolis Neighborhood Center provides free food. As people lined up this week, neighbors expressed their gratitude for the assistance.
"It's a blessing right here to be able to help me out doing what I need to do to keep food in my home to feed my family," said Steven Longoria, who lives in the Montopolis community.
Longoria said he's thankful for any help and said it's tough for his family to get by right now paying the bills and trying to cover the rent.
"Currently, I live on disability and food stamps," Longoria said. "When the government decided to lift our disability, food stamps decided to drop the amount we get. So I would say this is actually a blessing."
There are six Austin Public Health Neighborhood Centers that provide support for rent, utilities and food assistance to families in financial crisis.
"We see the need, but we understand how the world is right now," said Ana Montiel, the program manager for the Montopolis center. "Even if it's just a little bit, everybody is needing assistance because everything is just so high ... This is where you come. I want the public to understand this is their center."