The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) has released the 2024 State of the Homelessness Response System (HRS) report. This document offers a comprehensive analysis of the individuals served by the HRS, existing programs, and how the system functions to transition people from homelessness to housing.
The report is a first for the community, combining data from Needs & Gaps and Racial Disparities reports with an in-depth look at Rapid Re-Housing data and the Permanent Supportive Housing pipeline. It also outlines necessary investments to create an effective HRS for everyone. The aim is to make information about HRS operations accessible to all.
The cover features a painting by David Dominguez, an artist associated with Art from the Streets (AFTS), a nonprofit that provides resources for artists who have experienced homelessness. ECHO expressed gratitude towards David for allowing them to use his artwork, which is on display at the Austin Central Library until September 29.
"We decided to contract with David to use this piece for a couple reasons," states ECHO. "First, it’s a beautifully layered, vibrant work of art that tells a story about our community. But more importantly, it highlights something that too often gets lost in lengthy analytical reports about HRS data: There’s a lot more to all of us than what might show up in a database."
ECHO reminds readers that each number in the report represents an individual: "Every data point is an artist who wants to create, a musician making our city more vibrant, a friend or family member who’s struggling, a coworker striving for better for their family, a neighbor, an Austinite."
Acknowledgments were also extended to Pat Chapman and AFTS for facilitating connections with David Dominguez. Chapman is recognized as a tireless promoter of artists within AFTS. For those interested in similar collaborations with AFTS artists, contact information is available on their website.
Additionally, ECHO highlighted AFTS' upcoming 32nd Annual Show and Sale scheduled for October 12-13 at the Blue Genie Art Bazaar.