Austin’s Homeless Strategy Division provided updates on the city’s efforts to tackle homelessness at a May 3 meeting, about one year after Austin voters elected to reinstate a public camping ban.
The division held two virtual public meetings led by Austin Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey on May 2 and May 3. Notable topics included camping ordinance enforcement and the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link initiative to move Austinites experiencing homelessness from camps into temporary housing. The team also addressed questions from public participants.
Camping ban enforcement
Austin’s camping ban ordinance became effective May 11, 2021. The city underwent a phased implementation of the ordinance, which initially involved law enforcement and other participants engaging in outreach and education with Austin residents experiencing homelessness, according to Grey.
The first public camping citations were issued in August 2021. Over 200 citations for public camping and sitting, lying down or sleeping outdoors have been issued as of April 22 this year, Grey said.
HEAL initiative
The HEAL initiative, approved by Austin City Council members last February, directly addresses homeless encampments. HEAL aims to identify encampments that pose serious health and safety risks, offer residents direct access to bridge shelters and connect them to longer-term housing resources.
Since June 2021, eight of the highest-priority encampments have been resolved, and roughly 250 residents moved into shelters through HEAL, Grey said.
For the fiscal year beginning in October 2021, the City Council set a goal of serving 200 people experiencing homelessness through HEAL. At the end of March, halfway through the fiscal year, Grey reported just under 100 unhoused Austinites served— almost exactly 50% of the target goal. Of the encampment residents offered shelter, 90% accepted and moved into more permanent housing.
There were about 110 people in the city’s two bridge shelters as of the end of March, Grey said. Roughly 65% of them have been enrolled in a permanent housing program. Grey noted the division would typically expect that percentage to be higher but cited the recent relocation of 35 residents from bridge shelters into permanent housing as a reason for lower enrollment.
Meeting attendees voiced concerns about people experiencing homelessness returning to previously cleared areas and asked division representatives whether HEAL will serve reoccupied encampments.
“What we’re seeing is that when there is straight enforcement [of the camping ban]— not the HEAL initiative—it is very likely people will simply move,” Grey said. “Largely, what we’ve seen is people move more significantly into wooded areas and places where they’re not as visible.”
HEAL assesses about 40 health and safety criteria—including a community’s health profile and fire and flood risks—when determining which encampments to prioritize, Grey said. If an encampment is repopulated, HEAL may serve that community but only if it raises concerns through the program’s usual health and safety assessments.
“We really would like this to be how we resolve all encampments,” Grey said. “We’re not there yet in terms of access to shelter and services, but we are looking at ways to expand HEAL.”
Social service and housing solicitations
The city of Austin approved investing over $100 million of American Rescue Plan Act funds into homelessness programs in June 2021. While Austin provides some direct service programs, the vast majority of the city’s spending on social services happens through nonprofit and community partners, Grey said.
About $80 million in ARPA funds is processed through Austin Public Health’s contracting unit, through which nonprofits and other service providers submit proposals and contract with the city to provide services if their proposals are approved.
The Homeless Strategy Division splits the funding into three solicitations, or requests for proposals. The first request is housing stabilization, which supports permanent housing through rapid rehousing services, landlord engagement and risk mitigation, and more. The request was $53 million and closed March 9. Awards should be announced between now and mid-June, Grey said.
The second request, which is open and will close May 12, is dedicated to crisis response. This includes funding for shelters, street outreach and other crisis services. It is worth $10 million.
The final request is expected at the end of this month or in June. It will be about $11 million dedicated to support services and capacity building, which covers employment services, behavioral health support, benefits access, and aiding nonprofits in expanding their services and training workers.
The Homeless Strategy Division will continue updating the community on a quarterly basis.
