Mathew Davis, a resident of an Austin, Texas homeless shelter, dreams of securing an apartment of his own. Yet with the minimal earnings he receives from donating blood plasma, even a $450-a-month tiny home without running water and with a shared bathroom remains a major stretch.
Meanwhile, more than 4,500 properties the city deems affordable — nearly 16% — sit vacant.
“I don’t make enough money really to afford anything,” Davis, 49, said, referring to the couple hundred dollars he makes each month. “I just keep trying to swim uphill.”…