AUSTIN, Texas — More people are moving in and out of Austin than ever before. The housing crisis is not only forcing people to move, but it’s also forcing families to the streets.

Housing advocates say rising rent prices are leaving people with no place to go. 

What You Need To Know

  • National housing data shows Austin is the most expensive city to rent in Texas

  • Housing advocates say the housing crisis is a major factor for homelessness

  • The City of Austin has implemented anti-displacement funds and a task force to address the problem

  • Texas law does not allow cities or counties to enforce rent control or regulate rental prices

Bianca Bangor, her husband, two daughters and two dogs are living in a hotel room right now.

“We’ve been bouncing back and forth between my parents’ house and here,” she said.

We first spoke to the native Austinite back in November. She was preparing to move to Orlando in the summer because she couldn’t afford to live in the city anymore.

When her landlord ended her lease early, her plans and her life were uprooted.

“I wanna be with my kids, but they’re not gonna be able to be living on the streets. They’re definitely going to be staying with my parents if that happens,” she said. “So I’ll have lost everything at that point pretty much.”

Data from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development shows Austin is the most expensive city to rent in Texas. The National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks Texas as one of the worst states for affordable housing.

“We’re all just being forgotten about, pushed out,” she said.

Bangor’s story is not unlike many others in Austin. Homelessness advocates say among the homeless they’re helping right now, a major factor is affordable housing. They are also critical of how the city is handling the housing crisis.

We Can Now founder Antony Jackson was on the scene during a homeless camp sweep where crews found a woman dead.

“We definitely have to come up with some type of plan and we are as far as ending homelessness,” he said.

Austin City Council's Vanessa Fuentes says affordability is and has been one of the city’s biggest challenges.

“I often like to say that it’s not just an affordability crisis, we’re also in a displacement crisis,” she said.

The City of Austin implemented a $300 million anti-displacement fund and created task forces that focus on housing issues.

Fuentes has been part of several initiatives to improve renter’s rights, but she says state laws restrict the city.

A recent report shows the City of Austin has failed to meet its goals to provide low-income rental properties for its most vulnerable populations.

“I mean the reality is, the city’s not doing enough,” Fuentes said.

Bangor says she’s tired of the talking and no action.

“It’s not being fixed in time and it wasn’t planned for from the beginning, which is what needed to have been done,” she said.

After interviewing her, she got approved to stay at Camp Haven Homeless Sanctuary. She says she knows she is privileged compared to many others.

For her, this is far from a happy ending, because it should have never happened from the start.