Twenty-eight people living in a West Bouldin Creek homeless encampment were moved into shelter over the past week through the ongoing second stage of Austin's Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link, or HEAL, program.
Since it started last year, HEAL has connected more than 200 people experiencing homelessness with shelter and housing-related services. HEAL's first phase ended last summer after nearly 150 relocations, while its $6 million second phase began in November and has so far moved 63 individuals to bridge shelter, including more than two dozen from March 8-16. The city plans to serve more than 200 people in this current phase alone.
"This initiative allows us to work with community partners, offering resources to help find more people permanent housing,” Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey said in a statement. “While there is still more work to be done, we are dedicated to making a difference for the thousands of people living unhoused in our community.”
HEAL is aimed at public encampments posing a high public health or safety risk, such as those near major roads, parks or waterways. The city's Homeless Strategy Division oversees the initiative and the ranking of campsites to be targeted, with input from multiple city departments involved in the process. The city said its work on Bouldin Creek this month was partially prompted by seasonal flash flooding risk there.
