The city of Austin, along with partners from other agencies and nonprofits, moved 15 individuals experiencing homelessness from an encampment on city parkland off Old San Antonio Road to the city-owned Northbridge shelter in North Austin on Nov. 16, according to a press release from the city.
The move kicks off the second phase of the Austin's Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link, or HEAL. HEAL is a city program that works to close high-risk homeless encampments by offering to relocate occupants to shelters and connecting them with other resources, Austin Media Manager Andy Tate said.
"Today, we were able to help address critical health, safety and environmental concerns, providing people with access to dignified shelter and housing services,” Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey said. “HEAL is an important strategy for responding to some of the most pressing needs, and we look forward to its expansion.”
The South Austin encampment was located in the Slaughter Creek flood plain, which city representatives said was at an “extremely high-risk location for floods and fires.”
