Dear Friends,

We at LifeWorks are humbled by the overwhelming support of our community this past year. It was undoubtedly a year of increased challenge for our community, yet your faith in the young people we serve - and in LifeWorks –ensured we could continue to scale our impact.

The year began with the approval of a new strategic plan and a revised mission statement that centers our focus on the goals and dreams our youth set themselves and the stability necessary to achieve them.

Despite the affordability crisis in Austin, we have persevered in our movement to End Youth Homelessness. As I write this, our efforts have assisted close to 1,200 youth experiencing literal homelessness in achieving permanent housing since October 2018. Additionally, nearly 1,600 youth and families received counseling services last year, and 580 youth participated in workforce and educational programming.

This year we also launched Impactful Voices, an innovative program that recruits former LifeWorks clients to work side by side as Impact Specialists with staff in programs and departments. Impact Specialists help ensure that the voice of lived experience is amplified with authenticity in everything we do in the organization by assisting in research, programming, basic needs assistance, development, and advocacy. They have already shaped our work in ways we could not have imagined, and we look forward to scaling it in the coming years.

As we enter our 25th year as an organization, we stand ready to respond to the evolving challenges experienced by youth and young adults in our community. One of the most critical things we can do to effectively address homelessness in Austin is to advance all efforts to End Youth Homelessness. To that end, we have plans in motion to break ground on more housing by the end of this year.

We could not do this work without a community that supports and believes in Austin’s young people and in a future without youth homelessness. Thank you for your ongoing support and for making our impact possible.

MY THANKS,

Susan McDowell, LifeWorks CEO

$19,051,633

$13,533,970

LIFEWORKS PROGRAMS Housing & Homeless Services 931

CLIENTS SERVED

The goal of LifeWorks Housing Services is to provide a continuum of support that will help transition youth from homelessness to permanent housing and independence.

• Street Outreach

• Rapid Rehousing

• Transitional Living Program

• Permanent Supportive Housing

• Young Parents Program

• Emergency Shelter

• Diversion

• PORT (Permanency through Outreach & Rapid Transitions)

• After Care Transitional Services

• Best Single Source Plus (BSS+) Homelessness Prevention

• Housing Vouchers Program