Resources
Answers to frequently asked questions about encampments.
Austin Public Health provides free and low-cost services. For more information or to schedule an appointment call 512-972-5520. No one is refused services if they are unable to pay.
HOST is an interdisciplinary team comprised of members the Austin Police Department (APD), Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC), and Integral Care. The team proactively seeks out community members living on the streets of Austin, learns the challenges they face, and connects them to services with the ultimate goal of housing. HOST is one part of the community’s approach to making homelessness rare, brief and nonrecurring in Austin.
Homelessness is a complicated issue, in addition to all of the different federal programs, there are different definitions and methods for measuring the number of people experiencing homelessness. This glossary has several terms related to homelessness and homelessness services. These terms may be helpful when viewing Austin’s Homelessness Dashboard.
The HEAL Initiative is intended to compassionately close the most unsafe encampments in our city by offering people experiencing homelessness a direct pathway to crisis shelter and opportunities to attain stable housing, sustainably reducing public camping in unsafe areas.
City staff work every day on programs and with partners to help those experiencing homelessness. Here are City of Austin Programs working to prevent and solve Homelessness.