A GOP-backed group says it’s collected enough signatures to put a reversal of the city’s homeless ordinances on the ballot in November. Save Austin Now, a coalition led by longtime strategist and Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak, announced Monday it has turned in 24,087 signatures for its petition to reinstate bans on camping, panhandling […]
homelessness
Posted inHousing
Housing department seeks to move unused home repair funds toward homelessness
The city will likely redirect a $2.6 million unused Community Development Block Grant intended for home repairs to create more housing for the homeless in the next budget year. Last week the Community Development Commission voted 9-2 to approve the 2020-21 action plan drafted by the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department, which lays out […]
Posted inAustin
Austin sees 10-year high in the number of people experiencing homelessness
The number of people experiencing homelessness in Austin hit a 10-year high in 2020, according to a new report. Data from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s point-in-time count show that 2,506 people were homeless on the night of the annual census, Jan. 25. More than half of them – 1,574 – were on the street […]
Posted inPublic Health
Salvation Army’s downtown homeless shelter closes after positive tests; ARCH confirms first case
Salvation Army Austin’s downtown shelter was closed this weekend after 12 people tested positive for Covid-19. All 187 people staying at the shelter have been moved to a city-leased hotel. KUT has also confirmed the first case of Covid-19 at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless next door. Corey Leith, a spokesperson for Salvation […]
Posted inAustin
Expanded hotel use among city’s strategies for combating Covid-19 among homeless population
Increased availability of public hygiene facilities, emergency food access, coordination with health care organizations and expanded use of local hotels for shelter are some of the steps the city has taken to assist the homeless community in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. In a recent memo, assistant city managers Rodney Gonzales and Christopher Shorter […]
Posted inAustin
Homeless advocates organize against petition to reinstate anti-camping laws
The coalition of community groups that pushed for the city to decriminalize homelessness last summer has organized opposition to a petition drive that seeks to reverse the ordinance change via referendum. The Homes Not Handcuffs Coalition, which includes the Texas ACLU, Front Steps and the Austin Lawyers Guild among its members, is mounting a public […]
Posted inAustin
Real estate group’s $1M donation will help fuel expansion plans for Community First! Village
A $1 million donation from the Austin Board of Realtors will help the Community First! Village of Austin with its plans to expand and add more homes for the chronically homeless throughout Austin. In an announcement made Monday, the professional organization’s charitable foundation will provide $100,000 per year over 10 years to the village operated […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Citing violence associated with homeless, Abbott asks DPS to patrol state-owned buildings in Austin
Gov. Greg Abbott has directed state troopers to increase patrols within two blocks of state buildings in Central Austin in the wake of two stabbings involving homeless Austinites since Friday. In a letter Thursday, Abbott directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to increase patrols around the University of Texas, the Texas State Capitol and […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission hears fundraising plans for 300 new shelter beds
A partnership between the Downtown Austin Alliance and the Austin Chamber of Commerce has identified 14 sites that could become the location for a new large shelter to serve the city’s homeless population. At last month’s Downtown Commission meeting, representatives from those groups, which are working to register a new nonprofit group called ATX Helps, […]
Posted inCourts
Supreme Court passes on Boise camping ban case, opening up Austin’s rules to lawsuits
The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to a ruling that found a ban against camping in public in Boise, Idaho, is unconstitutional. The case against Boise’s ban on camping inspired, in part, the city of Austin’s decision to scale back its bans on camping and resting in public earlier this year. The […]
Posted inCity Council
Council members support using hotels to house homeless, but are wary of locations and quick timeline
Austin City Council members say they’re concerned about the timeline, placement and funding strategy for a plan to expand efforts to buy and retrofit hotels to house homeless Austinites. Last month, Council OK’d a plan to buy the Rodeway Inn near Oltorf and Interstate 35 to house at least 87 people. At their work session […]
Posted inAustin
Proposed partnership with ECHO would convert more motels to temporarily house Austin’s homeless
ECHO, the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, says the addition of 200-300 short-term motel units would substantially impact the community of Austinites living without shelter. In a memo sent Tuesday to the mayor and City Council, city staff said they agree. Earlier this month, Council approved buying the Rodeway Inn in South Austin and converting the […]