Resources

Shelters:

Caritas of Austin Housing Program: Provides housing and supportive services for individuals who have experienced long-term homelessness and who are recovering from the trauma they have experienced while being homeless. They also provide financial assistance and supportive services to families and individuals who are experiencing a housing crisis or short-term homelessness to prevent them from becoming homeless or return them to housing. https://caritasofaustin.org/need-help/get-started/

Life Works: Provides emergency shelter, counseling, and career services for homeless youth and young parents. Will do an intake for Pregnant women ages 18-24. https://www.lifeworksaustin.org/

Casa Marianella: Provides shelter and support services for displaced immigrants. Contact directly at 512-385-5571 Monday – Friday from 8 am-6 pm. Please contact a staff member before arriving at Casa Marianella.

Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center Hotline: Is a centralized intake for housing assistance across Austin & Travis County.  (512-522-1097). 

The Sunrise Hub day center, located at 4430 Menchaca Rd, Austin, TX 78745provides services for whole-person care for the whole-person trauma of homelessness.

Monday through Friday - 9:00 am - 1:00 pm. Lines start forming at 8:00 am, and services begin at 9:00 am.

Cold Weather Shelters: When overnight temperatures are expected to reach 35°F or below. Register daily at One Texas Center (505 Barton Springs Rd) between 6–8 PM; free CapMetro transport to shelter.

Austin Shelter for Women and Children (ASWC)

• Who it serves: Single adult women and women with dependents

• Services: Emergency lodging, case management, job training, housing support

• Location & Contact: 4613 Tannehill Ln, Bldg 3; Phone: 512-933-0600

• Must call ONCE per week to keep your spot on the waitlist active.

Eighth Street Shelter: 

• Who it serves: Women and transgender clients

• Services: Emergency shelter, transportation, case management, wellness programs

• How to access: Call the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center at 512-522-1097 (M–F, 8 AM–8 PM) for referral

Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH):

• Who it serves: Single adult men

• Services: Emergency shelter, day shelter, case management, job and legal assistance, healthcare

• Access: Call the Sunrise hotline for placement (512-522-1097)

Affordable Housing:

Affordable Housing Online Search Tool:This tool offered by the City of Austin helps families local affordable housing opportunities. https://www.austintexas.gov/department/affordable-housing-online-search-tool-ahost

Housing Authority of the City of Austin:The Housing Authority provides resources for affordable housing in the Austin area. Applications and more information are found on their website. https://www.hacanet.org/

Coordinated Assessment: Coordinated Assessment is a community-wide housing coordination and wait list for those currently experiencing homelessness. They help find housing at shelters and other organizations such as Caritas, ECHO, etc. https://www.austinecho.org/gethelp/

Foundation Communities: FC is an organization that can assist with coordinating community resources such as affordable housing, rental assistance, and even insurance coverage. https://foundcom.org/

Austin Habitat for Humanity: an organization that teams up with the city of Austin to build affordable homes for low- to moderate-income families. Eligible families must earn at or below 80% MFI. https://austinhabitat.org/about/

Rental assistance:

I Belong in Austin: Emergency Rental Assistance provided by the Austin Housing Department. Applications are open the first week of each month and recipients are chosen via a lottery system. https://www.austintexas.gov/rent 

United Way 211: The United Way has a comprehensive list of financial assistance programs ranging from food access, utilities, to medical bills and rental assistance. https://211unitedway.org/

David Chapel Baptist Church: Offering 100$ in rental assistance. Accepts calls on Mondays from 10:30-12:30 PM. (512) 472-9748 

St. Paul Catholic Church: Offers some rental assistance. Takes calls form Monday-Thursday. (512) 420-4077

Bethany United Methodist Church: Bethany Benevolence Fund offers rent and utilities assistance for Austin residents. For rent assistance, individuals may be eligible for $300 for the first visit and $100 for the following. For utilities that are not with Austin Energy, individuals can apply for $100 assistance. Rent assistance is mailed directly to the Landlord and utilities are mailed to the utility company. Individuals can call the receptionist Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. to try to make an in-person appointment for Thursday of the same week at 512-258-6017. (7872, 78728, 78730 and 78758)

Family Needs Assistance Masonic Children & Family Services of Texas: helps pay for rent and utilities for families with a child 21 or younger living in the home - apply to online form at https://masonichometx.org/children-family-services/rent-utilities/ 

Greater Mt. Zion Church- Rent and Utility Assistance: Call 512-469-9020 ONLY on Tuesdays from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm, or call 512-662-5811 ONLY on Thursdays from 10:30 am - 1:30 pm. There is no option to leave a voicemail. Individuals are encouraged to keep calling in case the line is busy. One time assistance every 18 months. Texas Photo ID, lease agreement, and utility bill if assistance is needed  https://gmzaustin.org/causes/poverty/ 

St. Vincent De Paul Society- The Society of St. Vincent de Paul Program is able to help for individuals residing in 78757, or in the PARTS of 78752, 78753, or 78758 located within parish boundaries. Enter your home address in the SVdP Locator tool at https://austinsvdp.info/ to confirm St. Louis King of France St. Vincent de Paul serves your address.

Catholic Charities of Central Texas: Financial Stability program provides emergency assistance for rent, mortgage, or utilities—online application available. https://ccctx.org/financial-stability/

St. Austin Catholic Parish: Outreach is held on Thursday mornings starting at 9 am, with assistance in person on the 1st and 3rd Thursday of the month. All other Thursdays of the month are held remotely. Lottery for financial assistance with utility bills, rent/partial. May receive assistance once every 6 months. Can only service 15 to 20 people per month. https://www.staustin.org/outreach

Car seats:

https://www.dshs.texas.gov/injury-prevention/safe-riders/child-safety-seat-distribution

https://kidtravel.org/car-seats/free-car-seats/

Transportation:

If you have Medicaid you may have access to free transportation for health care visits! Call the number on the back of your insurance card to learn more.

Need discounted access to CapMetro? Learn more here: https://www.capmetro.org/fare/general-fares-overview/equifare

Central Texas Food Bank:  The Central Texas Food Bank provides numerous different resources for families to promote food security including a community kitchen, community garden, a fresh food initiative, supplemental food programs, kids cafes, mobile food pantry, disaster relief and many more. (800) 541 – 7905 https://www.centraltexasfoodbank.org/

Women, Infants, and Children: Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a federal program to help provide supplemental food and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, lactating, non-lactating postpartum people, infants, and children. The program provides a list of eligible, healthy foods that can be purchased at a grocery store using WIC checks. This program is very easy to use and is accepted at nearly all grocery stores and retailers who sell food. Visit their website to see if you are eligible and to apply. www.fns.usda.gov/wic

DCHP Medicaid: Offers food support. Clients can all the number on the back of their insurance card.

Sunday Lunch Box:https://www.sundaylunchbox.com/

Hill Country Community Ministries:HCCM operates a food pantry and clothing closet for those in crisis and living in poverty in Williamson and Travis counties. (512) 259 – 0360 www.hccm.org

Black Mams Village Food Pantry:https://www.blackmamasvillage-atx.org/

Food for All: FREE food every weekday 10am to 3pm and ALSO Tuesday nights from 6-8pm in Pflugerville Fill this form out before you arrive https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1B4MW2xNZV2bBeT-5_W4JNLcoLediJDNDldhz4gythOs/editmay fill one normal size shopping bag per day per car- bring shopping bag https://www.foodforallproject.org/ 

Society of St. Vincent de Paul Diocesan Council of Austin: walk-up food pantry on Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Emergency food boxes are available during Client Services hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. https://www.ssvdp.org/client-services 

Austin Baptist Chapel, Angel House Soup Kitchen Program: provides hot breakfast and lunch seven days a week. One sack meal per guest https://www.austinbaptistchapel.com/aboutus.html 

Westover Hills Church of Christ: food pantry that also offers baby diapers (sizes 1-6), adult diapers, and period supplies on a first come first serve basis at 11AM. Must complete an assistance application form and Valid Photo ID required call 512-345-6386 or visit http://westover.org/food for more info

Austin Vineyard Church Food Pantry: a free prepackaged box of food will be loaded into vehicles, first time clients fill out an intake form. 9:30-2:30 on the fourth Saturday of the month (in December it will be the third Saturday) https://www.austinvineyardchurch.com/

Austin Area Urban League Workforce & Career Development

https://aaul.org/

Overview:

• This program helps job-seekers become self-sufficient by offering career counselling, employment placement, workshops, occupational training, financial literacy, and long-term retention support

• They also have specific training like HVAC, plumbing, building maintenance, solar & clean energy certifications

•  They serve individuals facing barriers (including formerly incarcerated folks) through their “Returning Citizens Advancement Program

Why it’s good:

• Offers hands-on training in skilled trades (which often lead to good-paying jobs).

• Focused on people with barriers to employment, which means more tailored support.

• Direct connections to employers (they mention working with companies like Spectrum, Dell, Tesla).

Tips: Call ahead, ask about eligibility for the training program you’re interested in. Some cohorts fill quickly.

Workforce Solutions Capital Area

https://www.wfscapitalarea.com/about/

Overview: 

• They provide specialized services at no cost, including career training, apprenticeship programs, scholarships, job search assistance, etc.

The Arc of the Capital Area – Pathways to Employment

https://www.arcaustin.org/contact/

Overview:

• “Pathways to Employment” is a 5-week free work-readiness course for individuals living in Austin/Travis County. Arc of the Capital Area

• It helps with resume building, job application skills, interview prep, and personalized employment plans. Also helps accessing TWC services. Arc of the Capital Area

Why it’s good:

• If you’re newer to the job search world or face employment barriers (including disabilities), this is a structured program that helps you build up to employment.

• Short timeline (5 weeks) so you could get into it relatively quickly.

• Free of cost.

Tip:
Ask about eligibility (they mention “individuals who meet specific criteria” for the free course). Good idea to reach out early to reserve a spot.

Dress for Success Austin

https://www.dressforsuccessaustin.org/about-us

Overview:

• Career Support: Resume help, interview prep, job-search tools.

• Professional Styling / Attire: They provide women with a package of two full professional outfits + accessories, undergarments, cosmetics.

• Path to Employment Mentorship: A six-week career readiness program matching clients with mentors. 

• Financial Wellness: Workshops on budgeting, banking, debt, investing etc.

• Veteran Support: Assisting women veterans and spouses in transitioning to the civilian workforce.

Education and career advancement:

Austin Community College Adult Education

https://adulted.austincc.edu/

Offers services such as high school equivalency GED preparation, ESL, college prep, and career-pathway certificate programs. Their "career pathways" programs are free for eligible adult learners, offering certificate training in high-demand fields. 

AISD Adult Education & Literacy Program

https://www.austinisd.org/ed-support/adult-ed

Offers free ESL classes for adults 19+, aimed at personal growth, career advancement, and supporting family education involvement. 

Austin Voices for Education & Youth

https://www.nld.org/austin-voices-for-education-and-youth

Offers an adult academy program in partnership with community resource centers: ESL, GED, computer classes, parenting, and adult basic education in Spanish.

Austin Learning Academy

https://austinlearningacademy.org/about-us

Offers free virtual ESL classes

Skillpoint Alliance

https://skillpointalliance.org/application/

Offers hands-on training in trades: pre-apprentice, HVAC technician, plumbing, and advanced manufacturing. Courses can be rapid (4-6 weeks) and are designed to get you job-ready. Must be 18. 

Austin Area Urban League - Tech and Career Academy

https://aaul.org/workforce-career-development

Their Tech & Career Academy lists trade‐related certifications: HVAC, plumbing, building maintenance, clean energy, and electrical. Also includes tailored supports for individuals facing employment barriers (formerly incarcerated, etc). Good fit if you want trade training plus supportive wrap‐around services.

Capital IDEA

https://www.capitalidea.org/how-we-help/

They cover 100% of tuition, fees, required books, and required supplies/tools for eligible participants. They offer wrap-around supports: career guidance (via “Career Navigators”), help with childcare costs, support services to stay in school, and job placement support after graduation. They focus on high-demand career fields in the Austin/Central Texas region: healthcare, information technology (IT), applied technology/trades/manufacturing, etc. They consider long-term education, not just short training. Some participants may need remediation or college‐prep work

The Goodwill Career & Training Technical Academy 

https://gctatraining.org/apply-now/

They provide accelerated training for career certifications, including nursing and specialized medical disciplines, at little to no cost to qualified applicants. They offer free training, career support, and job placement services. The Nursing Assistant program typically requires 160 hours of coursework, which can be completed in 5 to 8 weeks. Night classes are available to accommodate various schedules.

Lactation : online resources from WIC

Maternal Health Warning Signs

Postpartum mental health

Lantern, formerly Bright by Text : a resource text specific to Central Texas

Postpartum groups with PIPAustin

Need support with something not listed here? We love using connectCTX.org. You enter in your zip code and what kind of support you need and a curated list of support is provided.

FindHelp.org is another resource that we visit. This is sometimes less accurate, but another resource you can use.