Services | Stories | Partnerships |Snapshot '03-'08

According to the Texas Homeless Network, of the 54,000 to 102,000 homeless people in Texas, 34% are families with children

Posada Esperanza is offering much needed housing for homeless families. Even with all of the different shelter services in Austin, there is simply not enough shelter for families. To help meet that demand in 2003, Casa Marianella opened Posada Esperanza, a new program to provide shelter and support to single immigrant women and their children. The original facility could provide hospitality to four families at a time in a shared house.

Posada Esperanza is unique in that it provides a home-style environment for families and focuses on serving immigrant families. Therefore, accommodations are continuously considered for families' cultural and language needs as well as the unique challenges that single immigrant women face in overcoming a crisis of homelessness. Domestic Violence shelters prioritize serving families who are in danger, leaving out many victim families who are leaving abusive relationships but are not in immediate physical danger at the time of their homelessness. However, Posada Esperanza is able to serve domestic violence victims who are not in immediate danger of an abuser.

Posada Esperanza has received residents from many different countries. We have served guests from Mexico, Somolia, Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Tunisia, Cuba, and Cameroon. The average stay for a family with Posada Esperanza is three to five months, and they work diligently with the staff to meet their individual goals and get back on their feet.