Homeless Strategy Office

Help Address Homelessness in Austin

As part of the homelessness response, the City of Austin collaborates with agencies, community organizations, and individuals working to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring. If you’re here to learn more about what’s happening, you can:

• Help an individual experiencing homelessness you can call 3-1-1 to connect them to support; if you encounter a person experiencing a mental health crisis, 9-1-1 now has a mental health option you can use to request emergency help.
• Access information about the City policies, strategies and programs that prioritize ending homelessness, including the Housing-focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative.
• Learn about the many organizations at work and track progress through the Austin Homelessness Dashboard.
• Join the effort by getting involved with the programs and community organizations making a difference in our community.

Together we can realize the promise of a compassionate and thriving Austin for everyone.

Learn more about homelessness in Austin.

Read news about the City's homelessness response efforts.

Public Spaces Initiatives

Managing public spaces such as roads, bridges, parks and other City owned land, requires balancing all human interests. The City of Austin provides a coordinated, cross-departmental response to encampments that prioritizes the health and safety of all Austinites and strives to preserve human dignity and respect. Staff prioritize locations for cleanup and closure based on their immediate threat to public health and safety.  There are currently hundreds of encampments occupying public spaces.

Currently, Austin does not have enough emergency housing units for everyone experiencing homelessness. When an encampment is closed and individuals do not have a place to go, they will often move to another location sometimes in areas that are more difficult to reach or further out of sight or will go back to a closed encampment. Until more emergency housing is available, our community will continue to experience encampments.

• Housing-focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative
• Frequently Asked Questions about Encampments

Take Care During Covid-19

If you are experiencing homelessness, or are at risk of becoming homeless, the City is here to help you during this public health crisis.

• If you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 (cough, fever, and shortness of breath) or have been exposed to the virus call the CommUnity Care COVID Hotline at 512-978-8775 to learn about helpful City resources.
• Get advice and testing information from a nurse at 512-972-5560.
• Get the latest information about case management and ongoing healthcare during COVID-19.
• Access Safety Net resources that can help you stay in your current housing.

More information about COVID-19 in the City of Austin at austintexas.gov/COVID-19.

HSO Primary Responsibilities

• Procuring, managing, and monitoring homelessness-related contracts between the City and third-party vendors, per the City of Austin’s purchasing policies and procedures.
• Overseeing operations at City-run and City-owned homeless shelters.
• Collaborating with City agencies and community organizations in efforts to expand the availability of housing across the continuum of need (e.g., emergency shelters, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing).
• Overseeing and approving plans for public space management, including outreach, clean-up, and compassionate encampment closures.
• Working with the Communications and Public Information Office to help manage communications regarding the City’s approach to assisting individuals with resolving their homelessness.
• Working with the Intergovernmental Relations Office to manage relationships between the City and local, state, and federal agencies and officials.
• Collaborating with Austin/Travis County's Homelessness Response System partners to uphold best practices, policies, and procedures for organizations that serve unhoused people in our community.
• Engaging with local businesses and philanthropic entities to broaden the funding base for homeless response services.

HSO Outcomes

Establishing a stand-alone HSO is designed to provide the following outcomes:

• Helping unhoused individuals ensure their homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring by working with local partners to timely identify and deliver housing opportunities.
• Improving quality of life standards for unhoused neighbors and the community through improved coordination of public space management, including homeless encampment cleanups and compassionate closures.
• Collaborating with local service providers to expand access to crucial services for people experiencing homelessness (e.g., mental health services, job training).
• Greater returns-on-investments for City funding by enhanced tracking of homelessness-related expenditures and more agile resource deployment.
• Increased accuracy of data collection and data-driven decision-making to identify trends, target resources where they are most needed, and track progress.
• Implementing proactive communication strategies that humanize homelessness and increases public awareness of City efforts.
• Greater investments in solutions to help resolve people’s homelessness through partnerships with local private and philanthropic funders.