AUSTIN, Texas — As Austin continues to face an affordability crisis, nonprofit The Others One Foundation (TOOF) is creating more shelter space to house the homeless.
The emergency shelter known as the Esperanza Community in southeast Austin is full, so crews are adding more housing on-site.
The site currently has 100 units in Phase I, where people are living. But come March of 2025, there will be an additional 100 units. The groundbreaking for Phase II was held Friday.
"This is a place people come and experience transformation,” TOOF Founder and Executive Director Chris Baker said.
This comes at a critical time. According to the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, or ECHO, on any given night, more than 6,300 people are unhoused in Austin. The goal is to get more people off the streets.
The total cost for Phase II is around $3 million. Funding will come from the city of Austin, Travis County and through private groups.
“[It's about the] stability that someone is able to achieve when they have a door that locks behind them and place they can sleep and not super hot in the summer or super cold in the winter,” Baker said.
All 100 units of Phase II will be completed in March 2025.