One of the original residents of our Zilker Studios supportive community for single adults, Kelas Lloyd recently reflected on the past several years. Kelas says there is no roadmap, that anyone’s life can take surprising and devastating turns.
“In 1995, I was bitten by a tick and contracted Lyme disease,” said Kelas. “My body began to fail me. About a decade later I was forced to go on disability.”
Kelas says they quickly found that disability was not keeping up with the cost of living in Austin.
They shared housing costs with a roommate, until the roommate suddenly had to leave Austin. Kelas’ lease was ending and they couldn’t afford to renew. They planned to move into a room in a friend’s home, but the friend just stopped responding to messages. Kelas was now homeless.
They checked into an extended stay hotel until they could camp out in another friend’s home office temporarily.Their search for a long-term solution only turned up apartments that seemed “creepy or like a scam.” Kelas remembers the anxiety of wondering what would happen if their friend needed them to move out of her house before something turned up. Were they headed for the street, like so many others around Austin? Kelas wasn’t sure they could survive that with the chronic pain they were living with. Then a life-changing call came. Foundation Communities was opening Zilker Studios and leasing affordable apartments for lower-income adults. Kelas quickly applied, not wanting to miss this opportunity, and moved in in the summer of 2023.
Now, Kelas participates in a variety of activities at Zilker Studios designed to foster a community spirit – the Resident Council, Coffee Hours, outings and events for residents.
Kelas says, “Living at Zilker Studios has been transformative. Before, I was just existing. Now, I’m able to seek out things I enjoy.”
Staff at Zilker Studios introduced Kelas to the Art from the Streets organization. They now enjoy painting regularly and getting positive responses from their creative work. Also, Kelas has a new roommate, a cat named Ser Bartholomew.
On September 5, Kelas Lloyd spoke at the kickoff to support Proposition Q in Austin, sharing their experiences struggling to afford housing in Austin, and how supportive housing and services have made a huge difference in their life. You can watch their entire speech below.
