Population of Addicted Homeless Rises Dramatically in Austin

Written By

Dominic Nicosia

November 1, 2016

If you live in the Austin area, and have noticed a dramatic increase in the region’s homeless population, you’re not imagining things. A recent survey conducted by Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) reveals a 17 percent increase of homelessness in the past year. Part of this influx is attributable to the homeless-friendly climate found in Austin and nearby areas, where the economically disadvantaged can get a hot meal and find agreeable weather much easier than in other areas of the United States. Some shelters are serving lunch to an average of 300 homeless  per day, many of whom are hoping to get a fresh start in Austin and get back on their feet.

Unfortunately, however, there is also a prodigious and increasing prevalent culture of addiction throughout the city’s steadily rising homeless contingent. The same ECHO report that showed the overall increase also showed that 60 percent of Austin’s homeless have reported a drug or alcohol problem and approximately 80 percent were unemployed. A decidedly progressive town, homeless addicts are liable to find more compassion and treatment options in Austin than many other areas of Texas or the rest of the country. Addiction and homelessness have always been closely linked, with nearly 40 percent of American homeless abusing alcohol while just over a quarter reportedly abuse drugs.

Recovery Unplugged Texas (Austin Detox Center, Austin Treatment Center, Austin Rehab Center) is mindful of the relationship between addiction and economic hardship, and we have established our facility in Austin to help our clients begin the journey of fighting back against addiction and reclaiming their lives. You don’t have to lose everything just because you’ve fallen victim to drug or alcohol dependency. It’s important to realize that help is out there, and it’s closer than you think. If you are looking for quality addiction treatment in the Austin area, we are standing by to offer, effective, music-assisted care. Don’t let addiction destroy your health and your quality of life.

Dominic Nicosia

The Senior Content Writer here at Recovery Unplugged, Dominic Nicosia oversees the maintenance of our online blog while also handling and overseeing all written communications within Marketing. He also writes articles, thought leadership pieces, and basically everything written regarding web content. Dominic has over seven years of writing experience in the addiction care field and a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of Arts in Philadelphia. Dominic has been writing and playing music for years and is the proud owner of a Jack Russell/Pitbull mix named Jack. His favorite books are The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre, and Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.