Travis County is in for $3 million dollars over five years for a commitment to fund 250 new supportive housing units for the most frequent homeless users of the jail or healthcare systems.
The program hinges on successful outcomes, meaning fewer jail beds and hospital beds being used by those people. Commissioner Gerald Daugherty said that would help attract private investment to it, but only if the program is successful. Commissioner Brigid Shea remained suspect and said the success benchmark of keeping folks out of jail or hospitals isn’t easy to measure. She questioned how such a program will manifest real dollar and cent savings for the county budget.
The City of Austin, Central Health and other stakeholders are pitching in and Commissioners just have to figure out how they want to pay for their share of the program.
(Photo:By Philip Arno Photography)
