In a recent podcast episode, the Other Ones Foundation (TOOF) Executive Director, Chris Baker explained their approach to addressing homelessness in Austin.
He said that the organization was built on his extensive experience, both personally and professionally, and included two key concepts that he learned early on in his career from a mentor.
First, homelessness is not just the loss of a house, according to Baker. It is what Alan Graham calls “the catastrophic loss of family.” They argue that the support systems that exist for many of us when we fall on hard times have broken down or don’t exist for a homeless person. That’s how they end up on the streets.
And second, providing and integrating homeless individuals into a community is the solution to homelessness, not simply providing them a house. According to Chris, the home is important but his organization tries to provide people with the support and skills they need to be self-sufficient once again.
The Other Ones Foundation is the operator of the Esperanza Community in East Austin. According to its website, the Esperanza Community’s “low barrier and trauma informed nature makes it a unique and integral part of Austin’s continuum of care. The physical shelter and associated services are designed to respond to the needs of people who have not engaged with, or been adequately served by more traditional shelter services.”
During the episode, Chris explains how he envisions the services they provide taking individuals through a process from being homeless to simulating what it will be like to live on their own to self-sufficiency and being able to thrive.
After the organization gets a person off the street, they are integrated into the Esperanza Community and given a small, individual cabin. “It’s got a door that locks, an air conditioner, a heater,” says Baker.
He said it is not like “these big, massive, cavernous rooms with a bunch of bunks in them.” The Esperanza Community provides non-congregate shelter to its community members.
“Once somebody is doing well,” said Baker, they are able to enter the organization's work and workforce training programs, to earn money or build the skills so that they can earn money in the future.
The Other Ones Foundation just announced a partnership with Workforce Solutions and Austin Community College to build a new workforce training building where homeless individuals will be given an opportunity to receive a certificate in various skilled trades, such as becoming HVAC technicians or auto mechanics.
What Baker envisions for the next phase, they are building now with the support of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). He explained the next housing units will be “a little more robust. They will have bathrooms inside each unit. There will be a way to cook food,” explained Baker.
Throughout their stay, in addition to providing them with work and skills training opportunities, the Other Ones Foundation helps community members get an ID and other vital records, open a bank account, find a job, apply for long-term housing.
“We walk beside them throughout the process,” said Baker.
In 2023, the Other Ones Foundation served 596 individuals experiencing homelessness, moved 288 into stable housing, and paid out $920,000 in earned income.
With the support of the state, Austin Community College, and other partners like Workforce solutions, Chris hopes to expand greatly on that past success in future years.