Downtown Commission looks at partnerships, philanthropy to address homelessness

The city is establishing new partnerships with homelessness relief organizations and could announce new philanthropic partners later this month, while continuing to improve programs already in place to address the needs of the area’s growing homeless population.

The most recent meeting of the Downtown Commission featured a presentation from the Homeless Strategy Office that highlighted the emerging partnerships, efforts to expand shelter capacity, and how cuts in federal funding have already affected health care and other services seen as “adjacent” to the office.

One of the most prominent partnerships discussed by Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray is with the nonprofit Housing Connector, aimed at linking landlords with available units to providers working with unhoused individuals. In its soft launch, the initiative identified more than 2,300 units potentially available to clients.

“They engage with landlords to talk about our homeless response system, talking about how they’re situated to help not just get clients in units, but also make sure those clients are stably housed,” Gray said. “These types of relationships are perfect for diversion, rapid exit and maybe even some prevention. That group of clientele that benefits most, this is a great intervention for them.”

While funding for the current fiscal year is secured, Gray acknowledged that upcoming city budget discussions would include calls for broader financial participation from philanthropic groups and private partners.

Budget and operational issues around homelessness will be the primary topic discussed at an upcoming joint meeting of City Council’s Public Health and Housing and Planning committees on April 29.

Gray also shared details of the city’s Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART), a new civilian-first responder program launched earlier this year that now operates along Congress Avenue six days a week. January data showed nearly 900 individual engagements and over 700 referrals to social services, reflecting strong early utilization.

Commissioners also raised concerns about the city’s ability to place individuals in shelter following 311 or 911 reports. Staff acknowledged that current shelter availability is limited, with only one bed available for every five people experiencing unsheltered homelessness, though efforts are underway to increase capacity.

Gray described how the city uses a layered approach to both engagement and enforcement in its approach to downtown, with targeted encampment closures carried out under the HEAL initiative, which seeks to move individuals into dedicated bridge shelters and eventually into housing. Enforcement remains a core strategy in key corridors like Cesar Chavez Street, Shoal Creek and under Interstate 35, where the city conducts frequent cleanups and has begun meeting with groups that provide food in these areas to reduce associated litter and public health issues.

With federal Covid-era dollars also expiring, Gray said the city is making philanthropy a much bigger focus in helping to fund needs around permanent supportive housing and shelter beds.

“This year we have really been really intentional about engaging with philanthropic organizations, the business community and other large donors to talk to them about what the city is doing on homelessness and why people should invest their philanthropic dollars and their corporate social responsibility dollars,” he said, suggesting there will be substantial news on that front later this month. “We have conversations at least monthly with different investors, both other taxing authorities and private partners, to talk about the work and make sure that the city of Austin is not the only one to fund and prop up these efforts. The fact of the matter is that we can’t be the only one.”

Photo by Lars Plougmann made available through a Creative Commons license.

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