Homelessness has long been a major problem in the United States. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2018 Annual Homeless Assessment Report reports that approximately 553,000 people in the state are homeless. Since all jobs require a permanent address, this situation could continue and many people could lose their jobs.
The Other Ones Foundation (OOF) has come up with a way to provide jobs and initial support to these people. OOF works to bring these poor people back into the mainstream of society. Their mission is to enable these people to become self-sufficient and provide them with assistance, shelter, and food.
OOF provides job opportunities where workers are not required to provide a home base. Their work includes participants engaged in large-scale community environmental cleanups, maintaining public art, improving subsidized housing, and raising rescue animals.
They will receive $15 for lunch and transportation to and from work. Case management services are also provided to facilitate permanent employment and housing. OOF also provided “Golden Road” real estate to homeless people with access to facilities such as meals, laundry, showers, internet, and daytime sleeping.
OOF has spent about $100,000 a year helping most of these homeless people. 24 Some of those workers are now settled in stable homes. According to Austin City Council members, the program has grown more than seven times since 2018. This has proven to be an innovative initiative that provides protection to the most helpless.
Austin Mayor Steve Adler is encouraging those in public health and parks and recreation to take on this initiative. OOF is currently preparing to grow its business further. They hope to expand the system to other cities and involve more workers. Such measures need to be expanded from the United States to eradicate poverty, hunger, and unemployment.
