AUSTIN, Texas – Damarien Mills has been homeless for just over a year. The 44-year-old lives in Austin with only a backpack and sleeping bag. The rest of his belongings are in a storage unit. 

“Just ran into some problems – family problems – and now I’m just trying to get back on my feet,” he said. 


What You Need To Know

  • More than 93,000 Texans experienced homelessness in 2022

  • Eric Samuels, CEO of the Texas Homeless Network, is asking Texas lawmakers for help as the 88th legislative session ramps up

  • Samuels is asking for $750 million in rent relief and $750 million to build affordable housing

  • Rep. Jacey Jetton, R-Richmond, and Rep. Liz Campos, D-San Antonio, have both filed bills related to homelessness

He’s had various jobs at grocery stores, restaurants and golf courses. But right now, he’s unemployed. Mills has tried to apply to jobs in person, but he feels like there’s a stigma when he walks in the door. 

“They see the book bag and the sleeping bag and they already know, ‘Hey, you going through some things,’” he said. 

He and other Texans experiencing homelessness wait in long lines to get food when they can. Mills said he usually has breakfast and lunch covered for free, but dinner isn’t a guarantee. And because he’s out of work, he hasn’t been able to save any money to get a place of his own. 

“You’ve gotta eat,” he said. “Sometimes you want to get you some sleep, so you’ve gotta get you a room, and rooms are very expensive in Austin, $70 a night. So it’s kind of hard to save money when you have to spend money on certain necessities.” 

Homelessness is a growing problem across Texas. More than 93,000 Texans experienced homelessness in 2022, according to a report from the Texas Homeless Network (THN). As the 88th legislative session ramps up, Eric Samuels, the president and CEO of THN, is asking Texas lawmakers for help.

"We're asking lawmakers to support $750 million in Texas rent relief to keep people out of homelessness, and $750 million to build new, deeply affordable housing so people can escape homelessness," he said.

Rep. Jacey Jetton, R-Richmond, has filed a bill that would allow people experiencing homelessness to get their birth certificate or ID for free if they lose it. 

“This helps nonprofits and churches in our communities to also be able to assist those individuals, once they have that identification, to be able to get jobs and find places to live,” he said. 

Rep. Liz Campos, D-San Antonio, has filed nine bills related to homelessness. One would establish a statewide database so families can track and reunite with loved ones. 

“So many individuals that are homeless, and we all know they have mental illness, they wind up in other states. They don’t even know where they’re at. Sometimes they don’t even know their name. But they have family members that are looking for them,” she said. 

Rep. Campos also wants the state to invest money into a managed tent city that could be transitional housing for people experiencing homelessness. 

“It would be a short-term [solution], but I think that would welcome the homeless,” she said. 

But Mills said buying a tent would feel too permanent. He doesn’t want to “settle in” because he’s trying to get out of this situation, not stay in it. He said what he really needs is affordable housing. 

“I don’t give up,” Mills said. “I’m still trying to fight.”

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