We seek Austinites' feedback and constructive insights on how the City of Austin proposes to invest $106.7 million in ARPA funding to rehouse individuals and expand services through 2024.
Take the survey to share your thoughts about proposed investments in ARPA funds before Oct. 26. View Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey's presentation from two virtual community meetings held Oct. 14 and 18. Your feedback will help to inform spending priorities and strengthen the City of Austin’s work with government and community partners to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring across our community.
City street team plays key role in helping to rehouse more than 100 people experiencing homelessness. Read the news release. (8/24/2021)
Downtown Community Court Relocates to One Texas Center. The court's mission is to administer justice equitably and compassionately and utilizes a client-centered and housing-focused intensive case management model to serve people experiencing homelessness. (8/19/2021)
The fourth and final phase of Prob B implementation began Sunday, Aug. 8. Read the news release. (8/6/2021)
New Northbridge shelter welcomes people experiencing homelessness from a downtown encampment. The move is part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) initiative. Learn more about progress on the HEAL initiative. (8/5/2021)
Eating Apart Together (EAT) serves up one million meals to people experiencing homelessness. The City has federal funding to continue ready-to-eat meal delivery through Sept. 30. (7/15/2021)
City offers shelter for people living at a high-priority South Austin encampment. Fifty people experiencing homelessness move to Southbridge shelter as part of HEAL initiative. (7/16/2021)
Prob B begins Phase 3 of implementation. Read the news release. (7/14/2021)
A City-run storage service that helps people experiencing homelessness keep their possessions safe while navigating their way around the community and out of homelessness expands. Read the news release. (7/8/2021)
Southbridge, a city-owned hotel that has been converted to "bridge" (temporary) shelter welcomes its first guests. Guests moved from a high-priority encampment in East Austin. (6/17/2021)
Implementation of Phase Two of Proposition B begins, read the news release. For the past 30 days, during Phase 1 of the implementation plan, Austin Police and other City departments have visited dozens of encampments across Austin to provide information to people experiencing homelessness about how the new ordinance may impact them. (6/11/2021)
Enforcing the first phase of Proposition B, Austin Police (APD) and other City departments visit dozens of encampments and provide information to people experiencing homelessness. Read more about Phase 1. (5/28/2021)
City Announces Phased Implementation of Proposition B Ordinances, Starting May 11. Read the news release. (5/10/21)
On April 6, 2021, HSO Dianna Grey presented the first iteration of the HEAL Implementation Plan at Council Work Session. Review the memo and access footage of the meeting.
On April 7, HSO Grey answered questions from the press about HEAL, access footage from the Q&A.
The Austin City Council passed the Housing-Focused Homeless Encampment Assistance Link ("HEAL") initiative to connect individuals experiencing homelessness to housing-focused services and supports, including social, health, behavioral health, and substance use services as needed. The purpose of the HEAL initiative is to immediately house individuals, create a path to permanent housing, and eliminate the need for unsheltered camping in our city. Full Text Available. (2/4/2021)
Dianna Grey starts as City of Austin Homeless Strategy Officer (1/4/2021)
Memo to Mayor and Council: Homelessness Update (12/22/2020)
Eating Apart Together (EAT) surpasses 500,000 meals served to Austin’s homeless community. (News Release)
The Homeless Texting Alert System is a one-way text messaging system to get critical information out quickly and effectively. The program launched in early September with approximately 600 numbers from phones distributed by Integral Care, the Downtown Austin Community Court, and Front Steps. Additional numbers can be added at any time and without the risk of sending duplicate messages. (9/11/2020)
Memo to Mayor and Council: Update on Services for Addressing Homelessness (9/11/2020)
The City of Austin launched the Violet KeepSafe Storage program to provide storage to people experiencing homelessness. Located in the HealthSouth parking garage in Downtown Austin, access to storage will help people who live unsheltered attend service provider appointments, doctor’s appointments, pursue employment, and get some rest without worrying about the safety of their most treasured possessions.
Investing for Results: Priorities and Recommendations for a Systems Approach to End Homelessness was released July 23, 2020. The report, produced by Barb Poppe and associates offers recommendations and strategies to help ensure that public and private investments into programs and initiatives to address homelessness in Austin have the maximum impact.
Memo to Mayor and Council: Update on Homelessness Services During Response to COVID-19 (Dated 4/27/2020)