AUSTIN, Texas — The Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) announced a new voucher program to help provide housing for those experiencing homelessness and support service recipients.
The new program will provide 300 vouchers that are funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The vouchers will not only provide housing for those experiencing homelessness but also support services for recipients.
Out of the 300 vouchers, 100 will be given to veterans experiencing homelessness.
“This is another huge step in meeting our community's efforts to address homelessness,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said.
The value of these vouchers over the next 20 years of support will amount to more than $93 million.
"The goal is to lift up our homeless neighbors, provide them with a safe place to call home and then connect them with critical case management, supportive services, including access to community-based health care, educational support, job training, life skills,” said Michael Gerber, CEO of HACA.
HACA explained that some of the vouchers will be available in the next 60 days for properties that are already built, but other properties could take as long as two years until they are built and fully operational.
The vouchers will be provided to 10 projects across the city that provide housing and support for older adults and people with disabilities. Projects that fit that criteria include the Austin Housing Finance Corporation and Family Eldercare Austin.
HUD Deputy Secretary Adrianne Todman said the department has taken in account increasing rent rates and adjusted the value of the vouchers.
“We've also increased the value of the vouchers across the country," Todman said. "We've increased something that's called the fair market rent at an average of 10% across the country to make sure that as rents are increasing, that the HUD resources increase in there."
These vouchers have helped residents like Mary Apostolou when she needed affordable rent a few years ago.
"So this was a lifesaver for me, coming to HACA,” Apostolou said.
Todman also said the impact stretches far beyond the physical vouchers.
"It is about the senior who's not able to afford his or her home any more because they're on a limited income," Todman said. "It is the veteran who served, his or her country and really deserves at least to have a roof over their head, given what they have done and the service that they have provided. It is helping the mom with the two kids, or the father with one kid, the grandparents who are helping their grandchildren. This is about the people. This is firmly about the people that we serve."
HACA is working to create more partnerships and find more landlords to include in the vouchers so recipients don't have to wait for a long period of time for housing.
The following projects are included in the voucher program:
- Austin Housing Finance Corporation - 10 VASH vouchers for veterans at the Country Inn Hotel Conversion, 7400 North Interstate Highway 35
- Caritas - 30 project-based vouchers and 20 VASH vouchers for use at its Cairn Point property, 7205 Cameron Road
- Elizabeth Properties - 25 VASH vouchers for veterans at Kensington Apartments, 3300 Manor Road
- Family Eldercare - 25 project-based vouchers and 10 VASH vouchers at Real Gardens, 2826 Real Street
- Foundation Communities - 30 project-based vouchers and 20 VASH vouchers for use at Burleson Studios, 7905 Burleson Road, and 10 project-based vouchers at Skyline Terrace, 1212 West Ben White
- Lifeworks - 25 project-based vouchers for The Works at Tillery, 701 Tillery Street
- Safe Alliance - 30 project-based vouchers at the Lancaster, 5111-5115 Lancaster, and 25 project-based vouchers for use at The Sasha, 1401 Grove Boulevard
- SGI Ventures - 25 project-based vouchers and 15 VASH vouchers at The Roz, 3435 Parker Lane