AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- A new report says the demand for homelessness services across the city of Austin increased in 2023, while the number of people successfully exiting homelessness also increased.
The new data comes from an annual report issued by ECHO, or the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, on the state of the homelessness response system in Austin & Travis County.
According to ECHO, service providers in 2023 saw a 72% increase in people seeking services for the first time, compared to 2022. More than 24,300 unique individuals were provided services in 2023, which represents a 60% year-over-year increase.
The report cites an increase in housing costs, stagnant wages, and improving access to services as key factors that are driving these increases.
ECHO says providers helped more than 3,000 people exit homelessness during the 2023 calendar year, which is a 50 percent increase year-over-year.
Roughly 30 percent of the area's homeless population is classified as "chronically homeless", primarily due to a lack of permanent supportive housing options. Meanwhile, 60 percent of the area's homeless population have at least one disabling condition.
