The City of Austin and Downtown Austin Alliance are teaming up for a new Downtown Homelessness Task Force, a cross-agency initiative to reduce homelessness in Downtown Austin by curbing the inflow of new homeless individuals, and increasing the number of people transitioning off the streets into shelter, housing, or diversion programs.
“This effort reflects a shared commitment by many partners to lasting change on the streets of Downtown Austin,” said David Gray, City of Austin Homeless Strategy Officer. “We’ve heard of individuals being brought here or released directly to the streets, and of the barriers they face in accessing the support needed for stable housing. By working together, this task force will drive solutions that are both compassionate and effective.”
The task force brings together organizations representing local and state agencies, as well as nonprofit and healthcare partners. These include the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office, Austin Police Department, Austin Community Court, Austin Government Relations, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Downtown Austin Alliance, Integral Care, Travis County, Central Health, Ending Community Homeless Coalition, Trinity Center, Travis County Attorney’s Office, and many others. Together, these partners are working to shape a unified, results-driven strategy to respond to the complex challenges of homelessness in the downtown area.
“Ensuring people who are physically, mentally and socially vulnerable are connected to housing-focused services and not released into homelessness is essential to the wellbeing of at-risk individuals, but it’s also critically important to the health and vibrancy of downtown,” said Bill Brice, Senior Vice President with the Downtown Austin Alliance. “We appreciate many key agencies and service providers participating in this important initiative.”
By the end of the year, the task force will produce a clear set of strategies, identify lead agencies for each, and establish a timeline for implementation.
