A Downtown Homelessness Task Force convened Aug. 6 to meet through the end of the year and develop strategies to reduce entries into homelessness and increase exits into shelter, housing, or diversion programs. The task force includes city departments, Travis County, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Central Health, Integral Care, nonprofits and local courts, and will produce policy recommendations by December. Quarterly counts show tents fell in April but overall downtown homelessness remains between 400 and 500. July data showed a 26 percent rise in unsheltered people since January, with many individuals arriving from hospitals, jails or other cities without support. Anticipated federal funding declines underscore the need for prevention and early intervention.
The Downtown Austin Alliance and the city of Austin have launched a new task force aimed at reducing homelessness in the downtown core. Formally convened on Aug. 6, the Downtown Homelessness Task Force will meet through the end of the year to develop strategies for reducing the number of people entering homelessness and increasing successful exits into shelter, housing or diversion programs. The task force includes representatives from city departments, Travis County, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Central Health, Integral Care, assorted nonprofit organizations and local courts.
While tents and encampments in the area decreased in an April count to fewer than 50 compared to nearly 500 in mid-202, the number of people experiencing homelessness downtown has remained steady at between 400 and 500, according to quarterly counts conducted by the Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA). Bill Brice, DAA's senior vice president of investor relations, said the count taken in July showed a 26 percent increase in the unsheltered population since January. He noted that outreach staff frequently encounter new faces and individuals who report arriving from hospitals, jails or other cities without any support network.
Collection
[
|
...
]