Texas Homeless Network Blogs

The Disproportionate Impact of Climate Change on People Experiencing Homelessness By: Katie Good Across Texas, the unusually warm weather in early spring is a delight for many. However, it also raises concerns about the impending summer and the increasing impact of climate change, marked by the record-breaking heat experienced throughout the U.S. in the summer

Transcending Discrimination: Addressing Housing Challenges on Transgender Day of Visibility By: Ava Paredes This weekend is Transgender Day of Visibility. It is a day we can look back upon the many contributions transgender people have made to our communities as well as recognize the ongoing discrimination that they face as a marginalized group of people

Homelessness in Texas: A Snapshot By: Anja Taylor About the Texas Homeless Data Sharing Network  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), states, and Continuums of Care (CoCs), also known as homeless response systems, have made significant strides in recent years to improve data collection and analysis, often with limited resources. Still, available

The Crucial Role of Social Workers in Ending Homelessness By: Hope Rodgers March is Social Work Month, a time to honor the dedication and resilience of social workers and the contributions collectively made by the profession. The National Association of Social Workers’ (NASW) theme for Social Work Month 2024 is “Empowering Social Workers! Inspiring Action,

Affordable Housing is Out of Reach in Texas for Low-Wage Workers  By: Anja Taylor For too long, low-income renters in America have struggled to afford housing. Even before the pandemic, rents were increasing much more quickly than wages, putting pressure on millions of renters. With the arrival of the pandemic, low-wage renters were hit with

Homelessness in the Balance of State: 2023 Point-in-Time Count Results Intro The Point-in-Time (PIT) count is an annual HUD-mandated census of people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The PIT Count allows us a valuable opportunity to engage our communities in combating homelessness in addition to gathering a comprehensive data set of people

THN Statement on the Horrific Incident Near the Ozanam Center in Brownsville, Texas Yesterday The staff and board of the Texas Homeless Network wish to express our condolences to those who had this tragedy inflicted upon them Sunday morning in Brownsville near our partner agency,  the Ozanam Center. We also want our friends (staff and

AmeriCorps Week: A Celebration of National Service, March 12 – 18 During AmeriCorps Week, THN thanks the following four THN AmeriCorps VISTA members and recognizes their hard work to end poverty across Texas and New Mexico. Over the past year, THN VISTA members have served over 9,120 hours, recruited 84 volunteers, raised over $55,000 in

The State of Housing Affordability in Texas: Out of Reach By: Lisa Albracht As the 88th Texas legislative session progresses, we’re reflecting on where our state stands in regard to housing affordability. The National Low Income Housing Coalition (NLIHC) released its annual report, “Out of Reach 2022: The High Cost of Housing,” highlighting the mismatch

In memory of those we lost, we must be resolute and advocate for what prevents and ends homelessness. After reading the Honorable Ron Simmons op-ed on December 14th in the Dallas Morning News and duplicated here, I felt compelled to write a response. First, I want to thank the former Representative for highlighting the fact

2022 Point-in-Time Count Results Ava Paredes – Data Coordinator The Point in Time (PIT) count is an annual HUD-mandated survey of people experiencing homelessness on a single night. This survey is conducted throughout the state and the country. The PIT Count helps us understand how homelessness changes over time across numerous variables such as economic