Week 3

Front Steps' opened the ARCH building in 2004. I believe this is the biggest step Austin has taken to deal with the issue of homelessness challenging society today. The first floor contains a clinic that provides health care and specialized services for the population. The second floor has a large commercial kitchen and dining room that serves up to 100 meals a night to the clients that stay overnight. The third floor contains a 100 bed shelter and an open terrace. The ARCH building houses up to 200 men every night, 200 men that aren't forced to sleep on the streets of Austin. Homeless individuals are often discriminated against and judged for the position they have been forced to. Programs such as ARCH don't discriminate against these individuals and offer them the basic human rights they deserve. Many hold the stereotype that homeless individuals who choose their lifestyle by not getting a job. To counter-argue this, homeless individuals are unfairly discriminated against when they apply for jobs and apply for housing. Front Step empowers these individuals and focuses its attention on helping these individuals get their foot back into employment, so they can house and take care of themselves.