City Council approved an ordinance early Friday morning amending city code to decriminalize certain behaviors that are often necessary consequences of living in homelessness. The changes mean that city policies prohibiting sitting, lying down and camping in public areas will only be enforced if an individual is creating a safety issue or intentionally impeding use […]
homelessness
Posted inCity Council
Council vote OKs move to open homeless housing center in South Austin
The city’s second homeless shelter will be located in South Austin, as a result of a unanimous vote by City Council on Thursday to approve the purchase of an office building that will be converted into a 100-bed facility, possibly by the end of the year. The approval of three resolutions gives city staff direction […]
Posted inCity Council
City to pay up to $8.6M for South Austin parcel for new homeless shelter
City Council is expected to vote this week on approving the purchase of a commercial building in South Austin that will serve as the city’s second homeless shelter. A pair of resolutions slated for Thursday’s Council meeting spells out the details of the move to purchase 1.6 acres of property at 1112 W. Ben White […]
Posted inCity Council
Citing discrimination, City Council considers changing homelessness ordinances
City Council has decided it is time to take a hard look at the city’s policies associated with homelessness and take dramatic action. The homeless population in Austin is continuing to grow as the city’s population swells. According to the annual study conducted by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, homelessness increased 5 percent between 2018 […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission wants city to open three new homeless shelters by 2020
The Austin Downtown Commission wants the city to push harder to create homeless shelters outside of downtown, asking City Council to create three satellite facilities by September 2020. The directive came as part of a recommendation passed unanimously at last week’s Downtown Commission meeting. The resolution asks Council to enforce a late-May deadline for City […]
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Homelessness roundtable calls for coordinated programs to provide relief
With homelessness one of the top concerns for city leaders, the most recent Imagine Austin speaker series brought together a trio of specialists who have spent years looking for ways to help those who lack a permanent home. Among the things they agreed upon was that it takes a combination of programs and efforts from […]
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ARCH prepares to improve results by serving fewer clients
As of April 1, the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless is moving forward with a renewed 18-month contract with Front Steps Inc. to redesign its services to have better focus on individual clients and improve efficiency. Vella Karman, manager of social services policy at Austin Public Health, told the Health and Human Services Committee […]
Posted inCity Council
City begins search to fund new center for homeless families
The city is looking for money in the current budget to help open and operate a recently constructed homeless shelter for families. At Thursday’s meeting, City Council approved a consent agenda resolution directing City Manager Spencer Cronk to look for possible funding sources to pay for operations at the Salvation Army’s Rathgeber Center for Women […]
Posted inAustin
Homelessness in Austin increased 5 percent this year
Homelessness increased 5 percent in Austin over last year, according to the results of Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s annual census. The survey, which was conducted overnight on Jan. 26 by about 500 volunteers, found 2,255 people experiencing homelessness on Austin streets and in shelters, compared to 2,147 people last year. “The numbers are not moving […]
Posted inCity Hall
City names interim homelessness coordinator, with national search coming
The city of Austin has made an interim hire to start addressing the many needs of people experiencing homelessness and strategies to get them into stable housing. Last week assistant city managers Rodney Gonzales and Christopher Shorter announced that Veronica Briseño will move from her role as director for small and minority business resources to […]
Posted inAustin
Austin taking over underpass cleanup from TxDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation, which has been cleaning under the city’s highway overpasses for many years and cleaning up homeless camps for about three years, has notified the city of Austin that it can no longer provide those services. TxDOT told the city it could no longer be financially responsible for the underpass cleanups […]
Posted inAustin
Real estate group hears tough talk from homeless advocates
As one of the city’s leading advocates for the homeless, Ann Howard knows not to waste an opportunity when she gets in front of a room full of people who can help her cause. So she didn’t mince words last week when she had the attention of hundreds of real estate professionals at the monthly […]