Lucy Tompkins

Thanks for having me, Michael.

Thanks for having me, Michael.

Yeah, so I write about homelessness, and I think it's fair to say in this topic and in journalism in general, a lot of the stories are very focused on what's going wrong, how intractable this problem is, how it's growing. But part of my job is also to look for examples of where we're making progress.

Yeah, so I write about homelessness, and I think it's fair to say in this topic and in journalism in general, a lot of the stories are very focused on what's going wrong, how intractable this problem is, how it's growing. But part of my job is also to look for examples of where we're making progress.

And I moved to Austin a few years ago, and as I started talking to people about homelessness there, I kept hearing about this community on the outskirts of town that people said was a really creative and successful and impressive way of housing some of the most difficult to house people who live on the streets, the chronically homeless.

And I moved to Austin a few years ago, and as I started talking to people about homelessness there, I kept hearing about this community on the outskirts of town that people said was a really creative and successful and impressive way of housing some of the most difficult to house people who live on the streets, the chronically homeless.

That's a federal definition, and it refers to people who have a disability like mental illness, addiction, or a physical disability and who've lived on the streets for more than a year or repeatedly.

That's a federal definition, and it refers to people who have a disability like mental illness, addiction, or a physical disability and who've lived on the streets for more than a year or repeatedly.

Yeah, these are the people who, when you think about encampments in L.A., people who are really visibly living on the streets, this is that population. They make up about a third of the total homeless population, but they're the most visible. And over the last few years, communities have really been struggling with how to address growing tent encampments.

Yeah, these are the people who, when you think about encampments in L.A., people who are really visibly living on the streets, this is that population. They make up about a third of the total homeless population, but they're the most visible. And over the last few years, communities have really been struggling with how to address growing tent encampments.

And some places have taken a more punitive approach, ticketing people. And usually what people are offered is a temporary shelter bed that doesn't really address this underlying problem of where are people going to live long term.

And some places have taken a more punitive approach, ticketing people. And usually what people are offered is a temporary shelter bed that doesn't really address this underlying problem of where are people going to live long term.

And that's what made me really interested in this village on the outskirts of Austin called Community First Village, which people had been telling me was tackling this problem in a different and better way than anything else out there. So I was intrigued, but also a little bit skeptical and wanted to go and see it for myself. We're driving out of town.

And that's what made me really interested in this village on the outskirts of Austin called Community First Village, which people had been telling me was tackling this problem in a different and better way than anything else out there. So I was intrigued, but also a little bit skeptical and wanted to go and see it for myself. We're driving out of town.

It's like a 15-minute drive from downtown, and we're definitely getting out of the city.

It's like a 15-minute drive from downtown, and we're definitely getting out of the city.

It was as surprising as people made it sound. All right, here we are.

It was as surprising as people made it sound. All right, here we are.

Yeah, it is really cute. I've now been back to Community First a handful of times, most recently with Daily producer Olivia Nat. All right, let's go. And when you show up, you really feel like you're kind of entering another realm. It's very quiet. There's not a lot of people out right now. Somebody's planting. It's a peach tree. Good morning. Everybody says morning to each other.

Yeah, it is really cute. I've now been back to Community First a handful of times, most recently with Daily producer Olivia Nat. All right, let's go. And when you show up, you really feel like you're kind of entering another realm. It's very quiet. There's not a lot of people out right now. Somebody's planting. It's a peach tree. Good morning. Everybody says morning to each other.