Antony’s mother has cancer. He was helping to take care of her in San Antonio but his mother’s boyfriend is abusive. Anthony could not take it anymore. He says homeless on the streets of Austin, Texas is better than another day of an abusive relationship.
The first night Anthony stayed in a homeless shelter, someone stole all of his vital documents including his birth certificate and ID. He is in the process of getting a new birth certificate but it takes time. Without identification, Anthony cannot find work. Lost ID is a major challenge for many homeless people.
Anthony says because it’s a homeless shelter that you have to be grateful but it’s really hard to get inside. Because of a lack of beds, Anthony informed me that homeless shelters in Austin run off a lottery system. Although shelter operators probably have the best intentions, a lottery for a place to sleep at night adds even more stress to homeless people who suffer from the trauma of homelessness all day long. The solution is more shelters, more housing, and more support services but the public and political will have to make that happen!
Your voice can help end homelessness. If we do not fix the affordable housing crisis, homelessness will continue to get worse. Click here to tweet, email, call, or Facebook your federal and state legislators to tell them ending homelessness and creating more affordable housing is a priority to you.
