Find vital services offered by the Homeless Strategy Office.
- Free Health Services
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Austin Public Health provides free and low-cost services including:
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Free HIV and sexually transmitted infections testing for those experiencing homelessness.
For more information and locations, call 512-972-5580.
Austin Public Health provides low-cost to free immunizations through Shots for Tots/Big Shots.
The following vaccines are available:
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Influenza
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Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis B
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HPV
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Meningitis (through age 21)
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Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR)
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Pneumonia
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Tdap/Td
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Varicella (Chicken Pox)
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Zoster (Shingles)
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 512-972-5520.
No one is refused services if they are unable to pay.
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- Supportive Services
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Essential services for individuals experiencing homelessness:
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Caritas of Austin provides housing, food, educational, career, and other supportive services.
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Goodwill of Central Texas offers education and job training, job placement, and other career-related services.
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Integral Care supports adults and children living with mental illness, substance abuse disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.
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Mobile Loaves and Fishes provides food, clothing, hygiene products, and housing.
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National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) Austin offers services for people affected by mental illness.
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SAFE supports survivors of child abuse, sexual assault and exploitation, and domestic violence.
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Salvation Army Austin provides emergency shelter, meals, and services for children.
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United Way for Greater Austin connects people to a wide range of health and human services.
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- Family Support Services (Children/Youths)
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Any Baby Can: Provides services for children, expecting parents, and parents of young kids.
Austin ISD’s Project Help: Supports homeless and unaccompanied students enrolled in the Austin Independent School District.
American Youthworks: Allows young people to complete their high school education while gaining vocational training.
- Homelessness Outreach Street Team (HOST)
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The Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) is an innovative and collaborative initiative that operates in the Downtown and West Campus area, occasionally assisting other parts of the city to address the needs of people living on the streets. HOST is modeled after similar successful programs that have taken root in other cities in the United States.
Street Outreach programs are designed to actively identify, engage, and help individuals or households who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness get connected to emergency shelter, permeant housing, or supportive services to help resolve their homelessness. Programs can also provide urgent, non-facility-based care to unsheltered households who are unwilling or unable to access emergency shelter, housing, or an appropriate health facility.
Contact the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) by e-mail.
Services offered:
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Basic Needs Support
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Case Management
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Emergency Health Services
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Coordinated Entry Assessment
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Referrals
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- Austin Public Library
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Austin Public Library provides services to persons experiencing homelessness every day. At its core, the Library connects people to the resources they need and is a critical component in caring for members of our community experiencing homelessness.
Traditional Services/Resources
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Shelter and Safety
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Wifi/Internet Access
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Physical and Virtual Collection
Services Specifically for Persons Experiencing Homelessness
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Library Community Services Coordinators help persons experiencing homelessness navigate library resources.
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The Library implemented “wraparound” services, as a collaborative model, to help individuals find, understand, and connect to basic services to improve their quality of life. By centralizing services at certain locations, service providers are able to meet individuals where they are to help individuals navigate to behavior health care, medical care, employment assistance, shelter, food, clothing, and housing.
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The Library welcomes partners to its locations to provide services, such as:
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Integral Care/HOST & PATH Outreach Teams
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Central Health Medical Access Program (MAP) cards
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Central Health Medical Mobile Team
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Downtown Austin Community Court, Social Worker Group Counseling
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- Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC)
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Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) is a dual-purpose City of Austin department dedicated to assisting individuals experiencing homelessness, with services rooted in a community court model and integrated in the criminal justice system. The mission of DACC is to empower people to thrive by providing impartial justice and compassionate community-based services.
Walk-in Case Management
Walk-in access to case managers who provide assistance with basic needs, resource navigation, identification documents, medication storage, mailing address, water, and restrooms.
- Location: 505 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704
- Hours: Monday - Friday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. (check-in between 8 a.m.-3 p.m.)
Violet KeepSafe Storage
Free and secure storage program for individuals experiencing homelessness to keep vital documents, family memories, clothing, bedding and more. To access the program and check availability, walk-in or call 512-974-1294.
- Location: 700 E. 7th Street, Austin TX 78701
- Hours: Open every day, 7 a.m.-7 p.m. (closed daily from 11 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Mobile Court
Mobile Court brings the same level of court services provided onsite at DACC directly to individuals in community-based locations. DACC provides individuals the opportunity to check for open cases and warrants with Austin Municipal Court and DACC, virtual access to a judge and prosecutor to resolve cases and clear warrants, as well as onsite access to a case manager to help with resource navigation and connection to services. When appropriate, individuals engaging in Mobile Court are able to enroll in ongoing case management through DACC’s Clinical Diversion Program.
Clinical Diversion Program
Dedicated case managers serve people engaging in Court Services to improve connection to case management and social services, while also improving appearance and case completion rates, and reducing recidivism.
Intensive Case Management
Person-centered, housing-focused services with low caseloads and wrap around supports. DACC’s Intensive Case Management (ICM) program serves as a diversion from criminal justice involvement by meeting people’s needs before situations escalate to involve law enforcement. ICM provides a transition to continued client engagement from the Clinical Diversion Program and Walk-in Case Management.
- Additional Partners and Resources
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The City of Austin partners with the following organizations in the community to coordinate and provide residents with access to services:
Ending Community Homeless Coalition (ECHO)
ECHO is the lead agency that plans and implements community-wide strategies to end homelessness in Austin and Travis County.
Austin Homelessness Advisory Council (AHAC)
The Austin Homelessness Advisory Council (AHAC), previously named the Austin Homelessness Advisory Committee, is a group of approximately 15 individuals with lived experience with homelessness in Austin. AHAC is facilitated and administratively supported by Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC) and meets on a biweekly basis to provide input on processes, programs, and practices impacting and serving individuals experiencing homelessness.