NB Housing Partners created the First Footing program on 2/1/2021. The program model is built to come alongside adults on their journey out of homelessness and into a safe, stable home with mental and physical health care, employability skills training, budgeting education, and housing navigation. Perhaps most importantly, at First Footing, people who are struggling connect with people who care.

First Footing serves primarily longtime residents of New Braunfels – veterans who have bravely served our country, families with children, and people who lost their jobs. These are not nameless, faceless people. They are our neighbors struggling to get back on their feet.

There are many factors that lead to someone experiencing homelessness, including social and economic reasons, notably a rise in housing costs with lack of an adequate supply of affordable housing options or low wages that result in a housing cost burden for individuals or families. These community reasons are further complicated by individual factors, such as disease and disabilities, past trauma, poor credit history or financial debt, grief, domestic violence, mental health issues, or substance use. The negative stigma associated with homelessness also adds to the hesitancy to seek help.

When an individual enters the program, First Footing initially learns about the person’s background and, in the case of people who are new to New Braunfels, explores whether they may be better served in the community they recently left. Those staying overnight are provided 24-hour program supervision to ensure they and the community remain safe. First Footing provides social, behavioral, and health support services and then helps with finding a sustainable home.

In the first 24 months of the program:

• We served over 455 unduplicated individuals 20,566 nights of shelter
• We diverted an additional 150 individuals to other resources
• 72% of those sheltered have lived in the community for at least 6 months
• The average length of time lived in the community for all individuals sheltered was 14.7 years, with a median of 3 years
• Individuals served are a cross section of community; some (3%) are under age 20, some are older (11% at or over age 60), some are parents or even grandparents, some are veterans.

What they all have in common is they are struggling with their current circumstances and need a hand up, not a handout. We provide 24-hour staff coverage and work with community partners to provide physical and behavioral healthcare, meals and basic needs, identification document recovery, addiction recovery, assistance with employment, transportation to appointments and employment, and case management with a plan to obtain housing and reduce risks that impact long-term stabillity.

• 70 were employed at intake, 124 obtained jobs while in shelter
• 90 connected to at least one source of benefit income, such as retirement, disability, or SNAP (food assistance)
• 148 ID documents recovered
• 138 connected to long-term supports providing housing, such as family, friends, or treatment
• 148 were connected to other community/area resources

We want to see the positive outcomes continue to grow. We know that crisis housing and support services are only one part of the solution and that long-term housing is the key: we are committed to both. We are currently leading other agencies in the community to coordinate our efforts, which helps individuals and families experiencing homelessness to get help faster and more efficiently.

The initiative is funded by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, who report “Unmet Behavioral Health Needs can lead to homelessness, disproportionate resource utilization, and loss of productivity that impacts both individuals and society.” The Next Step project supports individuals and families with rapidly moving from housing insecurity or homelessness to housing stability. Case management, healthcare, and behavioral healthcare services are provided to reduce barriers that potentially threaten long-term housing stability. Housing assistance and ongoing follow up further support program participants with achieving and sustaining self-sufficiency as contributing members of our community.