Has a big village of tiny homes eased homelessness in Austin?
One of the nation’s largest experiments to address chronic homelessness is taking shape outside the city limits. Full Story
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Lucy Tompkins
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Lucy Tompkins worked for the Tribune as a housing and homelessness reporting fellow through The New York Times’ Headway Initiative, a philanthropically supported initiative that examines the world’s challenges through the lens of progress. She began her career as an education reporter at the Missoulian in Missoula, Montana. In spring 2020, she joined The New York Times as a general assignment fellow on the national desk, then spent a year reporting on housing, health and other issues with the Headway team. She grew up in Bozeman, Montana and studied journalism and anthropology at the University of Montana.
Past Contributions
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![Residents playing bingo at Community First! Village, which aspires to be a model of permanent affordable housing for people who are chronically homeless.]()
Credit: Eli Durst for The New York Times -
At the fringes of Houston’s prosperity, the city’s eviction machine is running full throttle
Houston has seen eviction rates soar since pandemic protections for renters lapsed. At one apartment complex, ejecting people from their homes is a ritual part of the business model. Full Story
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![Property management and a constable enter an apartment complex at the Life at Jackson Square apartments on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Houston, TX.]()
Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune -
“I’m here to watch history”: Texans marvel at Paxton impeachment spectacle
The suspended attorney general’s supporters thought lawmakers tried to overrule voters. Ken Paxton’s critics felt accountability was a long time coming. Full Story
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![Wide view of the Texas House chamber during debate on the articles of impeachment against AG Ken Paxton on May 27, 2023.]()
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LGBTQ Texans decry Capitol arrests after protests against bill banning puberty blockers and hormone therapy for kids
Senate Bill 14, which spurred demonstrations earlier this week, is again scheduled for House debate Friday. Trans Texans consider it one of this year’s most consequential bills. Full Story
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![LGBTQ rights activist Adri Pérez is detained by Department of Public Safety troopers as activists protest SB 14 outside of the House of Representatives gallery at the Capitol on May 2, 2023.]()
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Senate OKs bill to allow construction of anti-abortion monument on state Capitol grounds
The original sculpture was installed in the Church of San Marcello al Corso in Rome last year and is often interpreted as a depiction of Mary and Jesus. Full Story
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![A rendering of the National Life Monument, which will be installed facing the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington D.C. Replicas are planned for all 50 states.]()
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To tackle high housing costs, Texas lawmakers push to build more homes
Housing advocates, builders and real estate experts agree that the state simply isn’t building enough homes to keep up with its booming population and economic growth. Full Story
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![New home construction at a Longview subdivision on Dec. 17, 2021.]()
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Texas renters got unprecedented help during the pandemic. The Legislature is unlikely to extend it.
Lawmakers will decide whether to keep protections that shielded tenants from eviction — or to ban them. Full Story
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![A leasing sign outside Garden Court Apartments in north Midland, where rent for a one-bedroom can run as high as $850 per month. Leasing signs were an uncommon sight in Midland as recently as 2014, when apartment occupancy nearly hit 100 percent. It's fallen to about 80 percent now, according to the Permian Basin Apartment Association.]()
Credit: Jerod Foster for The Texas Tribune -
Houston wanted to lead the nation in long-term affordable housing. Now it’s backpedaling.
Houston’s community land trust was once touted as an innovative way to address its housing crisis. But city leaders slashed its funding by half as bureaucracy bogged down the program and enthusiasm dwindled. Full Story
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![A home purchased through the Community Land Trust, a nonprofit organization that aims to make homeownership affordable for low-income households, sits in Acres Homes in Houston, on Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022. Despite its goal of creating more than 1,000 permanently affordable homes in five years, the Community Land Trust has only 100 homes in its trust and the city of Houston may cut its funding significantly.]()
Credit: Callaghan O'Hare for The Texas Tribune -
Austin shelters weren’t prepared for outages despite lessons from 2021 winter storm, advocates say
Activists who work with unhoused people noted improvements in the city’s planning and coordination, but said shelters were difficult to reach for some and couldn’t accommodate families with children. Full Story
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![Tents sit along the I-35 frontage road on Feb. 16, 2021 in Austin. A winter storm has caused icy roads and left millions of Texans without water or electricity.]()
Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune -
Texas shelters prepare for twin emergencies: arctic cold and an increase in migrants
Cities and nonprofits are using a variety of strategies to keep unhoused people warm. But some organizations warn they’re already at capacity as El Paso sends migrants across the state. Full Story
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![The Dallas skyline during the wintery weather on Feb. 3, 2022.]()
Credit: Shelby Tauber for The Texas Tribune