Austin’s mayor and members of City Council tried to allay fears about the city’s revised rules on homelessness and its push to expand shelter space, at a forum hosted by the Downtown Austin Alliance. The brunt of Wednesday’s discussion focused on the rhetoric surrounding Austinites living on the street and city efforts to address the […]
homelessness
Posted inCity Council
Austin looks to limit camping and resting in public as it pursues housing-first solutions
The Austin City Council provided some clarity Tuesday over where it will limit camping and resting in public, as well as its overall strategy to boost citywide, housing-focused initiatives and investments. Council members heard a briefing from city staff on a memo released last week on solutions to homelessness in Austin – one that suggested […]
Posted inAustin
City memo says Austin could put limits on where homeless people may camp or rest
Austin will reexamine its new rules governing homelessness, according to a memo released Friday. The memo sent to City Council on behalf of Austin’s Homelessness Strategy Office says the city could abandon its idea to make space for emergency encampments in every Council district. The office said after meeting with the Downtown Austin Alliance, the […]
Posted inCity Council
Debates continue over impacts, enforcement of new homelessness ordinances
Recent changes to ordinances covering camping and soliciting by homeless people continue to be a hot topic of debate at city meetings, with residents and special interest groups pushing for a reversal to the June vote, or significant changes in how Austin police enforce the rules. Last week’s City Council meeting featured an item not […]
Posted inTravis County
City, county look to private investors to help on homelessness
Travis County commissioners are cautiously optimistic about the county’s participation in a multi-jurisdictional program aimed at helping some of the county’s most destitute residents. The program, Pay for Success, is a collaboration between the county, the city and a number of area nonprofits and health care providers. Under the model, Social Finance, a nonprofit that […]
Posted inAustin
ECHO has a new leader
The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, one of the leading organizations involved in addressing Austin’s homelessness problem, will have a new top executive today as the group’s co-founder, Ann Howard, steps down to focus on her campaign for a seat on the Travis County Commissioners Court. ECHO’s new leader, Matthew Mollica, comes to Austin from Denver, […]
Posted inCity Council
Council action would pave the way for $30M in private dollars to house the homeless
A resolution slated for consideration at next week’s City Council meeting could pave the way for foundations and other private sector entities to contribute to the estimated $30 million annual cost to provide housing for the city’s homeless population. The resolution would create a local government corporation that would be charged with raising funds from […]
Posted inAustin
Council, neighbors plan meetings on how to manage South Austin shelter
City leaders and residents are planning a series of meetings in the coming weeks to help them move forward and provide some clarity on efforts to manage the city’s growing homeless population. The Aug. 8 City Council meeting – the first since the July recess – is expected to include discussion about creating a local […]
Posted inAustin
Packed homelessness forum calls for more shelters, support: ‘We are dealing with human beings here’
As the city adjusts to new rules for panhandling, camping or sitting or lying in public, the Downtown Austin Alliance hosted a forum Tuesday to discuss the road ahead for dealing with homelessness and plans to expand emergency shelter access across the city. In the three weeks since the city’s revision of its homelessness ordinances […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Hearsay and opinion
Careful what you read on the internet, folks… Capital Metro’s current incarnation of Project Connect is no different from anything else the agency ever does: complicated, controversial and confusing. Time, however, is running out for the community and the agency to figure out what it wants to do and whether this project is going to […]
Posted inAustin
Camping rules continue to stoke arguments
City Council’s decision to revise ordinances related to where homeless people may camp, sit or lie down continues to cause controversy in the city, with some claiming the changes are making things worse for everyone, particularly law enforcement. Mayor Steve Adler has been a major target of ire on the Austin Police Association Facebook page. […]
Posted inAustin
Austin has new rules on panhandling, camping and resting in public. Here’s what that means.
Three revisions to the city’s rules against panhandling, camping, and sitting or lying down in public went into effect Monday. People have feelings about that, and it’s unclear what impact the rules will have on those experiencing homelessness – or on the officers enforcing city law. How are these rules different from the old ones? […]