Council at a Glance

Created in 1989 to coordinate the State's homeless resources and services, the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless (the Council) consists of representatives from all state agencies that serve the homeless. The Council receives no funding and has no full-time staff, but receives clerical and advisory support from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). The Council occasionally holds public hearings in various parts of the state to gather information useful to its members in administering programs. In addition, the Texas Homeless Network, a non-profit organization, fulfills many of the Council's statutory duties through a contract with TDHCA.

The Council's major functions include:

• evaluating and helping coordinate the delivery of services for the homeless in Texas;
  
  
• increasing the flow of information among separate providers and appropriate authorities;
  
  
• providing technical assistance to TDHCA in assessing the need for housing for people with special needs;
  
  
• developing, in cooperation with TDHCA and the Health and Human Services Commission, a strategic plan to address the needs of the homeless; and
  
  
• maintaining a central resource and information center for the homeless.

Key Facts

• Number of homeless in Texas. While estimates vary, the Council estimates that about 200,000 people, or 1 percent of the state's population, are homeless.
  
  
• Mental illness. About 25 percent of homeless people in Texas suffer from a serious mental illness.
  
  
• People with disabilities. More than 65,000 persons with disabilities did not have a regular means of shelter in 1999.
  
  
• Women. National figures indicate that women make up 19 percent of the homeless population. In Tarrant County, the percentage of women among the homeless population increased from 27 percent in 1991 to 48 percent in 1997. Estimates suggest that 30 to 50 percent of homeless women become so because of domestic violence, and 80 percent of the nation's homeless women have experienced some sort of violence.
  
  
• Children. Estimates show that over 125,000 schoolage children in Texas experience homelessness during the course of a year.
  
  
• Veterans. Estimates show that veterans comprise 30 to 40 percent of the nation's homeless population.

Recommendations

Change in Statute

14.1 Charge the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs with primary responsibility for addressing homelessness at the state level.

14.2 Make the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless an advisory committee to the Department.

14.3 Require Council members to have responsibility in their agencies for homeless programs or related services, and the authority to make decisions and commit resources, subject to the approval of their agency head, on their agencies' behalf.

Management Action

14.4 Require the Department to maintain information about the Council on its website, and require each member agency to have a link to this site.

Key Findings

• The need to serve homeless people through coordinated services remains important to the State.
  
  
• No single agency has the primary responsibility for addressing homelessness at the state level.
  
  
• The Council lacks the necessary authority and visibility to directly impact homelessness.

Conclusion

Although the Texas economy has grown, many Texans are homeless, and the State has a continuing need to coordinate its numerous and fragmented homeless services. The Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless performs an important information-sharing function and has helped to establish a central information resource. However, because the State has no single point of accountability for homelessness and because many Council members lack necessary authority and visibility, the Council has had limited success directly impacting the problems of homelessness.

The Sunset review identified the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs as the most appropriate agency to have primary responsibility for homelessness. Attaching the Council to the Department as an advisory committee and requiring stricter membership requirements should provide the committee with a forum for policy recommendations, increase its visibility, and encourage more active member participation. These changes should strengthen the State's ability to meet homeless needs through the various agencies that serve the homeless population.

Fiscal Implication

Changing the Council into an advisory committee to TDHCA should result in no fiscal impact to the State. TDHCA already provides the Council with administrative support. The Department should use existing program funds if it adopts Council recommendations to implement homeless-related projects, and other member agencies could also share costs, as appropriate.

Responses

Council

• Modification: TDHCA should be the home of the Council, and should be the lead agency on homeless issues and services, but should not be charged with the primary responsibility for addressing homelessness at the state level.
  
  
• It is critical that the Health and Human Services Commission collaborate directly with TDHCA in the coordination and planning of services for homeless persons.
  
  
• Alternative: The Council should remain an independent body advising the leadership of all member agencies on homeless issues.
  
  
• Modification: The TDHCA Housing Finance representative should be an active participant in the Council's activities.

• Flexible, non-categorical funding must be available to carry out the responsibilities of the Council, including funds for the maintenance of a central resource and information center, transitional housing demonstration projects for homeless persons, and duplication and printing costs. Funds may come from the Legislature and from Council member agency contributions.
  
  
• Supports the recommendation to require Council members to have certain responsibilities and authority within their agencies.
  
  
• Supports the recommendation to require TDHCA to maintain Council information on its website, and to require each member agency to have a link to the site.
  
  
• Making the Council an advisory committee to the TDHCA Board would place an additional and unnecessary burden on the Board, especially if the Board is reduced to five members. (Greg Gibson, Chair, and Mike Doyle - Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless)

Affected Agency

1. Within the current mandates of the Council, its activities must include analysis of federal funding targeted to low-income, non-insured citizens; coalition training, support, and development; and creation of an interagency strategic plan, in partnership with the Health and Human Services Commission, and approved by Council member agency boards. (Ann Denton, Director - Enterprise Foundation, Austin Office, Kathy Reid, Executive Director - Texas Homeless Network, Austin)
   
   
2. Flexible, non-categorical funding must be available to carry out the responsibilities of the Council, including the maintenance of a central resource and information center for the homeless and duplication and printing costs. (Ann Denton, Director - Enterprise Foundation, Austin Office, Kathy Reid, Executive Director - Texas Homeless Network, Austin)
   
   
3. Require all agencies on the Council to identify programs, funds, and access for homeless services. Require all agencies to identify and earmark some funds that would be used for interagency collaboration for dealing with homelessness. Require all agencies to earmark a meaningful amount. (Eugene Davis - Director of Development/Grants, The Salvation Army, Tyler)