The Moritz Center is committed to fostering partnerships between UT researchers and community organizations to advance meaningful social impact.
Explore organizations seeking research partnerships to connect academic scholarship with real-world practice. Contact impact@utexas.edu to learn more.
Active Partner
Mission Statement:
*Expanding our knowledge and impact when it comes to statewide advocacy for preventing and ending homelessness
*Support on building a more robust plan for advocacy and policy matters (no paid full time staff member to work on this).
*Providing research and recommendations on how to expand or improve a current pilot project that provides direct cash transfers to families in order to help them stabilize and obtain permanent housing.
*Identifying effective strategies to start, strengthen, and sustain local housing crisis response systems within a large, complex Balance of State HUD Continuum of Care framework – examining and identifying strategies that could be implemented at the local-level to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness for a diverse group of communities with varying capacities and resource levels.
Mission Statement: To intentionally provide hands-on service through school and community-based programs, to enhance the quality of life for African American and low-income youth and families.
Research Interests:
*Program Accessibility & Equity
*Make sure services are reaching those who need them most.
*Are there gaps in who is being served?
*Language, transportation, or cultural barriers
*Which case management strategies lead to the best outcomes?
*Client retention and engagement rates
*Data tracking and service coordination improvements
Mission Statement: The mission of American YouthWorks is to provide young people with opportunities to build careers, strengthen communities, and improve the environment through education, on-the-job training, and service to others.
Research Interests: Housing
Mission Statement: AVANCE walks alongside children and families to achieve social and economic justice.
Research Interests:
*Two-generation approaches that support both children and parents, with a focus on early childhood outcomes, family engagement, and pathways to economic mobility
*How technology and data can improve access to services and program effectiveness, particularly for underserved communities.
Mission Statement: Our Mission is to break down barriers and empower individuals to reach their full potential by offering culturally rooted support, trusted resources, and inclusive spaces where all voices are valued, especially those historically excluded.
Research Interests: Rural area’s transportation
Mission Statement: Breaking Bread Outreach Ministries is focused on creating tangible expressions of God’s love by helping people in our community transform their lives by breaking out of cycles of addiction, abuse, mental illness, poverty, and homelessness.
Research Interests: Economic mobility, effects of poverty on mental health, post secondary education access
Mission Statement: The Neighbors Program serves our unhoused neighbors in Austin through direct service and advocacy, and some who are housed and have low-income or are under-employed.
Research Interests: Workforce opportunities for people who are unhoused.
Mission Statement: Our mission is to preserve the people, history and culture of East Austin by providing property tax assistance and other necessary resources to fortify the community.
Research Interests: Anti displacement, impact of gentrification, senior housing, etc
Mission Statement: Equidad ATX is a nonprofit organization dedicated to driving equitable and sustainable neighborhood revitalization in Austin’s Eastern Crescent. Through strategic initiatives, we work to break the cycle of generational poverty and create thriving, inclusive communities.
Mission Statement: Transforming lives through the power of education and work.
Research Interests: What hinders families/individuals from utilizing Vocational Rehabilitation services
Mission Statement: Reducing trauma through zero barrier, proactive outreach and advocacy through education, community partnership and social justice.
Research Interests: How to stay engaged with people living outside and retain rapport and trust. Heart of Texas Outreach is currently administering an optional survey to people they encounter to identify what information they have about the homeless response system. In doing so, Heart of Texas Outreach is trying to identify gaps in knowledge and ways to keep individuals up to date on current info.
Mission Statement: The purpose of the organization shall be to support the development of affordable housing and connect residents living in affordable housing with services in the community to prevent eviction and to provide social services required by affordable housing
.
Research Interests:
*Understand why certain households are able to stay current with housing expenses and others are not, to strengthen our program design and improve how we deliver support.
*The impact of implementing TBRI (trust based relational intervention) at permanent supportive housing and in substance abuse programming.
Mission Statement: OPRC advances a twofold mission: (1) to strengthen the capacity of community providers through evidence based, trauma responsive training that improves service delivery to justice impacted individuals; and (2) to deliver comprehensive reentry planning, skills building, and wraparound support that promotes stability, employment, and long term success for our clients. Through collaborative partnerships and a holistic service model, OPRC enhances community readiness, reduces recidivism risk, and supports the successful reintegration of individuals returning from incarceration.
Mission Statement: To support the education of youth in Latin America through infrastructure, resources and cultural exchange.
Research Interests:
*The intersection of education, trauma, and community-based development in underserved communities.
*Understanding how exposure to violence and family separation impacts students’ emotional well-being, academic engagement, and future aspirations.
*Identifying and co-developing trauma-informed, school-based support systems that are rooted in the local context.
*Exploring how community-driven approaches through collaboration with local educators, families, and leaders can create sustainable solutions that strengthen both short-term student support and long-term educational opportunity.
Mission Statement: Develop one-on-one friendships between housed and unhoused individuals.
Research Interests:
*Adult education, methods of processing information, learning styles.
*Psychology, group behavior, human dimension of organizations
*Nudge economics, choice architecture, game theory