Unhoused

For decades, homelessness in Texas has largely been treated as a local problem. Cities operate shelters. Counties run jails and public hospitals. Nonprofits provide housing and services. Police respond to complaints and emergencies. But at the Texas Capitol, state lawmakers are beginning to ask whether that fragmented approach is itself part of the problem.

Students at UT's Dell Medical School run the C.D. Doyle Clinic at the Esperanza Community in Southeast Austin, offering free medical care to people in need.

Housing advocates say Texas laws fall short when it comes to property trespassers but they warn changes could worsen the state’s evictions crisis.

But one of the biggest successes highlighted in Close to Home’s report was the reduction of unsheltered veterans by 18% compared to 2023 and a 42% decrease in veterans experiencing chronic homelessness.