CARITAS OF AUSTIN
Ending homelessness together.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
People lose stable housing for many reasons, and for most, it’s a process that happens over time. People living in poverty without a strong support system are most at risk, especially when an unexpected crisis occurs. In 2020, the annual Homeless Point-In-Time Count identified 2,506 people experiencing homelessness in the Austin area, but it’s estimated that over 10,000 people access homeless services over the course of a year. Only a fraction are the “visible homeless” you may see on the street corners. The majority are people you don’t see or consider, from families living in their car to young people aging out of the foster care system. We know the most effective solutions to end homelessness in our community, but we can’t solve homelessness unless we do it together.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Supportive Services to Veteran Families
Caritas of Austin's Supportive Services for Veteran Families program (SSVF) is designed to increase the housing stability of veteran families that are at-risk of or experiencing homelessness.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Caritas of Austin’s Permanent Supportive Housing program provides housing, onsite supportive services, and mental health counseling for disabled individuals experiencing long-term homelessness. By using best practices and continually adding new layers of peer and mental health support, we are proud that last year 97% of individuals remained stable in housing and did not return to the streets.
Housing Stability
Caritas of Austin provides rapid rehousing services to families and individuals who are experiencing shorter-term homelessness. An unexpected crisis such as an injury, illness, or a lost job can cause a loss of stable housing. We meet people in their time of greatest need and quickly intervene to rehouse families to prevent long-term homelessness. We employ customized, evidence-based solutions to end a family’s homelessness once and for all, which is helps build stability for future generations.
Education Services
Caritas of Austin’s Education program is aimed at giving people the tools they need to succeed. Whether it’s learning to manage personal finances, developing vocational skills, or setting life goals, our Education program adds an additional layer of support to our comprehensive services.
Employment Services
Caritas of Austin's Employment builds individualized employment plans for each client based on their experience, skills, and goals. Together, staff and clients lay the building blocks for long-term success. Caritas of Austin partners with over 300 local employers to place hundreds of people in jobs each year. Industries include healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, HVAC, Commercial Driver’s License, IT, government, and more.
Community Kitchen
Caritas of Austin provides a free, nutritious lunch — no questions asked — to over 200 individuals Monday through Friday from 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Lunch in Caritas’ Community Kitchen may be the only meal someone eats on a given day. The Community Kitchen is primarily volunteer-operated.
Pantry
The Caritas Pantry provides take-home groceries to our clients. When you are struggling to make ends meet and must choose between putting food on the table and paying the electric bill, weekly groceries bring great relief to families.
Where we work
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of families receiving housing services in a fiscal year.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of clients placed in jobs.
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of meals served or provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of volunteer hours contributed to the organization
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Through collaboration and innovation, Caritas of Austin is working to end homelessness in Austin. While it is not possible to prevent all people from losing housing when an unexpected crisis occurs, we can use proven methods to address homelessness and build a community system strong enough to rapidly rehouse anyone who has lost their housing.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Caritas of Austin utilizes a Housing First approach, an evidence-based best practice in ending homelessness. This approach is used across several programs which are designed to best meet the client's needs.
Supportive Housing services provide intensive, long-term housing and support services for individuals who have experienced long periods of homelessness and are battling at least one disabling condition.
Rapid Rehousing services employs social work professionals that intersect with people as they find themselves without a stable home due to an unexpected crisis. These programs work shorter-term to help people quickly regain a stable home and build a stronger foundation to endure future crises like health problems or a lost job.
Support services such as a food pantry, employment assistance, and educational classes that teach life skills and money management help people reach their full potential and contribute to the community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Caritas of Austin has been providing housing services for over 55 years in the Austin community, and was one of the city's first organizations to implement a Supportive Housing program to serve chronically homeless individuals. We are also the lead and fiscal agent for Best Single Source Plus, a 12-agency collaborative aimed at preventing and ending homelessness in Austin. Through ongoing professional development, local collaborations, and membership in national groups leading efforts in effective solutions to homelessness, Caritas of Austin is continually adapting programs to increase effectiveness.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
For specific populations like Veterans, we have seen tremendous success. In 2016, Austin reached a functional zero for veteran homelessness, and Caritas of Austin was a leader in that effort to house all homeless veterans. This success happened through collaboration with the City of Austin, nonprofit partners, and the real estate community all leveraging their resources. Our community is now applying the successful tactics being used with the veteran population to address both youth and downtown homelessness. Significant progress will only be made when the community steps up to provide the resources that match the scale and complexity of the problem.
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
CARITAS OF AUSTIN
Board of directorsas of 02/11/2022
Mr. Troy West
Troy West
Melissa Ayala
Emily Blair
John Brindley
Monica Crowley
Erik Dithmer
Lori Freedman
Larry Graham
Monica Guzmán
Felicia Mason-Edwards
Tracy Snodgrass
Ramesh Swaminathan
John Trube
Anselmo Unite
Raquel Valdez Sanchez
Mike Haggerty
Erik Dithmer
Ramesh Swaminathan
Felicia Mason-Edwards
Felicia Mason-Edwards
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes