No Simple Solution for Austin Homeless
Gerry and Melanie Yount and their 12-year-old son live in a pickup truck as they try to get medical care. Photo by Joy Diaz/KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The city of Miami claims to have taken almost half of its homeless population off the streets in the last 10 years. In Austin, where homeless services are stretched to the limit, the City Council is looking for new solutions. Last night, council members met with officials from Miami. The challenges of one local homeless family that is struggling on the streets show how complex the problem can be.
A silver truck sits in the parking lot of Sears off I-35. The Yount family lives in it. Gerry Yount says he recently heard Austin has many resources for homeless people. So as a last desperate move, he left Temple and brought his sick wife and 12-year-old son to Austin in search of medical help.
“We’ve tried help through the different agencies, and some places that do offer help, they want to separate the family,” Gerry said. “And we are having such a hard time, being separated would be more devastating. We don’t know what to do.”
Gerry’s wife, Melanie, has had two brain surgeries in two years. Gerry is a plumber. For a while they stayed afloat, even without Melanie’s veterinary tech job. But the company Gerry worked for went under last year, and they got trapped in a fast downward spiral.
The Younts sold their wedding rings to buy medicine. Photo by Joy Diaz/KUT News
All they have left is their truck. They sold their wedding rings last week to try to get Melanie’s medication and food for their son, Trey.
“I don’t worry about myself,” Trey said. “We got food; it’s just, hygiene — I’ve been wiping myself off with the wet wipes, and every once in a while I go to the lake and swim around.”
One of Trey’s three chihuahuas gave birth six weeks ago. The puppies are his main entertainment at the moment. The family sold his PlayStation a few weeks ago.
The Younts face challenges, like ill health, medical expenses and unemployment, that are not easily solved. Mayor Pro-Tem Sheryl Cole says that in Miami, homeless advocates are able to better address the complicated individual issues that surround homelessness.
“They actually find homeless individuals, they actually have appointments where they bring people in to receive services such as work force and dental help, and drivers license, to try to move people to self-sufficiency,” Cole said.
It’s not clear that the Miami model, which relies on lots of federal money and state tax revenue, will work here, where public funding is scarce and waiting lists for services are long.
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