A growing effort to help people out of homelessness in Austin will kick off an ambitious expansion project on Friday. When it's finished, Esperanza Community wi
A growing effort to help people out of homelessness in Austin will kick off an ambitious expansion project on Friday. When it's finished, Esperanza Community will be able to shelter and offer critical services to hundreds more people every year.
Esperanza Community has grown a lot since the state donated a remote former TxDOT work yard as a place to house people experiencing homelessness. Now it has dozens of shed-size cabins allowing some privacy while the residents get the help they need to get back on their feet. Esperanza Community is run by The Other Ones Foundation , the same people who run the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless shelter downtown. But Esperanza is specifically for those who need help but don't do well in group settings.Those are the people who often find themselves back on the streets or in a homeless camp. Here they get the help they need and some privacy with an individual little cabin with a door that actually locks. That was perfect for Angelo Diaz who we spoke with a while back and had been homeless since leaving the military. He told us, “Finally being indoors, finally having a door to lock where my stuff won't get stolen. So much sense of security that this place has provided." Assigning individual shelters also allows Esperanza to serve people who may not fit in in a group shelter, people with pets and couples, among others. Friday at 10:00 a.m. they'll be breaking ground on the planned second half of the Esperanza Community, which will allow more of this safe and dignified non-congregate shelter and more training. Residents can leave the community with new vocational skills and certification in HVAC, auto mechanics, plumbing, and welding.
Homelessness Expansion Shelters Training Austin The Other Ones Foundation Vocational Skills
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