LifeWorks to Celebrate the Opening of the Works II

On January 21, 2020, LifeWorks will host the grand opening of The Works II, a 29-unit affordable housing community for youth and young families exiting from homelessness.

The Works II Grand Opening Celebration will take place at 11 a.m., at 835 N. Pleasant Valley Road. This event is free and open to the public.

Located in east Austin, The Works II offers the first step in the pathway to self-sufficiency for young parents, youth experiencing homelessness or youth who are aging out of the foster care system. The 17,300 square-foot building will allow for tenants with a diverse mix of incomes to remain in place for as long as they need.

As the second housing complex located at the LifeWorks east campus, The Works II community is steps away from an extensive array of supportive services available through the LifeWorks Sooch East Austin Youth & Family Resource Center. LifeWorks currently offers 21 programs designed to bolster self-sufficiency under the categories of housing, counseling, education and workforce. Tenants living in The Works II will have easy access to any of these programs to help them overcome barriers to self-sufficiency.

“The Works II provides another opportunity for youth exiting homelessness to define their idea of
a successful life as an independent adult by first allowing them to get off the street and into a safe, affordable housing situation,” explained Susan McDowell, Executive Director of LifeWorks. “We know that a housing-first approach is the initial step in ensuring that youth homelessness becomes rare, brief and non-recurring in Austin.”

Seventy-eight percent of youth experiencing homelessness in Austin have experienced foster care, juvenile justice or both. In addition to housing, LifeWorks provides an array of personalized mental health services to help youth heal from trauma.

The Works II apartment development was first envisioned in 2006 and broke ground in 2018. In 2017, LifeWorks set its largest goal to date: ending youth homelessness in Austin by 2020. The new housing community is a significant stride in reaching this ambitious goal. Every year, LifeWorks provides a pathway to self-sufficiency for more than 4,000 central Texas youth and families, many of whom are facing life’s most difficult challenges, including homelessness, trauma, and abuse.