ECHO: Housing Needs for Our Homeless Neighbors
ECHO is in most need of units to house single individuals or two-member households. This could be:
Traditional one-bedroom / efficiency/ studio apartments
One-bedroom condos
Garage apartments
One-bedroom units in fourplexes/ duplexes
They are also always in need of larger units for our families with children.
Rental Subsidies
ECHO’s partner programs (with Caritas, Front Steps, etc.) offer a range of financial assistance to households. Generally, they are in most need of one-bedroom units priced under $800 / month. They can consider more expensive units if the bills are included in the monthly rent.
Services & Leases
ECHO’s families are assisted by case management services as they transition out of homelessness. The case management assists the family in completing the application process, and in gaining stability once they have moved into housing. Some households will have more intensive case management services that will stay actively involved throughout the duration of the lease and beyond.
The households they serve are expected to and assisted in abiding by traditional lease contracts. Our case management services specialize in empowering households to maintain their housing and be a good neighbor.
Get Involved
There isn’t a special procedure for properties to become eligible to partner with a program. Simply contact ECHO, and they will match the unit with a partner agency who will assit the client in the rental application process. Some of their partner programs assist households who have vouchers through the VA or the Housing Authority, but some do not.
Instead, some partners have access to other funds to pay rent for clients. Every unit will be inspected to ensure that it is safe and habitable. The inspections will vary based on the source of funding (voucher or rental assistance) that the potential renting household has access to.
Contact
If a property owner, property manager, realtor, or locator is interested in learning more about partnering with ECHO to end homelessness, please contact Bree Williams, ECHO Community Housing Liaison, at (512) 940-9690 or breewilliams@austinecho.org. Bree is here to support and assist housing providers, she welcomes your questions about this initiative.