""I'm very uncomfortable with a policy of us going through a lengthy budget process, a detailed budget process, and then literally at the very next meeting of the Council, we're taking up budget items again, many of which were items that were part of the budget process," Watson said. "We utilized that budget process, I thought, really well to actually get to a kind of consensus on where we wanted on the budget. And, right out of the box, we're looking at items again.""
"At the heart of the debate was a provision directing city staff to "target" 15 percent of new homelessness spending to serve youth, in line with their estimated proportion of the local unhoused population."
A City Council resolution sought to direct staff to "target" 15 percent of new homelessness spending to serve youth, reflecting their estimated share of the unhoused population. Homeless Strategy Office staff warned that even a softened target could limit the ability to shift investments based on real-time data and evolving needs across populations. Staff noted current youth-focused spending, including $6.3 million in contracts with LifeWorks since December and coordination via a foster-youth homelessness working group. The measure received five votes in favor, failed after three no votes and two abstentions, and prompted debate over budget process and policy flexibility.
Read at Austin Monitor
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