The Picture of Texas

Texas is facing a growing capacity crisis. The percentage of survivors who are denied shelter solely due to lack of space more than doubled in just seven years from 21% in Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 to 47% in FY 2018. The ramifications of having to deny a survivor seeking lifesaving assistance weighs heavily on the advocates who must say “no”, and even heavier on the survivor left with no options. The waiting lists this creates also have a chilling effect on the community, as a whole. As one allied service professional said, “People get so frustrated with the waiting period. I really do think that is a major issue, structurally. There needs to be something where we are addressing that waiting period.” When these barriers were present for survivors who had not yet received services it could even reduce the possibility of their seeking help in the future.

To compound this issue, the State Plan found that the average length of stay in shelter was 39.3 days with staff stating that this is not enough time for survivors to “achieve stability and more permanent housing.” Survivors also shared their concerns about the length of stay and the uncertainty of where they would go next.

Additional funds are desperately needed to support geographic areas of the state with high census’ of survivors seeking services, as well as those staff members who are faced with denying shelter due to lack of space. Providers may also want to consider regional strategies that allow for agency collaborations around sharing space when beds and services are available in alternative locations to promote easier access for survivors. Additionally, while shelter is a critical safety option for some, providers should also seek to shift any unintentional paradigms that appear to state shelter is the only way to access other services, such as counseling or housing. Asking assessment questions that focus on the survivor’s needs could create linkages to housing stability or key service connections and allow shelter space for those who need it most.