Downtown Austin Alliance Board Advances FY 2026–27 Positions on Homelessness, Mental Health and Downtown Safety
– Five policy positions will guide the organization’s advocacy at all levels of government in the coming year –
The Downtown Austin Alliance (DAA) board of directors advanced its FY 2026–27 Policy and Position Statements addressing homelessness, mental health and safety in downtown Austin. The positions, approved on August 4, will guide the organization’s advocacy, public testimony, media statements, op-eds and coalition-building with the City of Austin, Austin City Council and community partners throughout the fiscal year.
The positions, which focus on top city and DAA priorities, call for sustained investment in homeless shelters and housing, expanded psychiatric crisis care, expanded involuntary commitment authority, increased downtown police staffing and increased enforcement of public order ordinances. DAA believes this combination of priorities reflects its charge to help address the needs of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness downtown while keeping public spaces safe and healthy for everyone’s use and enjoyment.
“Downtown’s long-term health depends on people experiencing homelessness having increased access to shelter, treatment and housing and on our public spaces staying safe and welcoming for everyone. These five positions frame how DAA intends to advance these goals in alignment with the city-led No Wrong Door coalition and with support of our downtown constituencies.”
– Davon Barbour, president & CEO of Downtown Austin Alliance.
Guiding Policy Statement
The DAA supports policies and programs, at all levels of government, that:
- Unify the community around public spaces that are safe and healthy for everyone’s use
- Prevent, reduce and end homelessness
- Are outcome and data-driven
- Offer an appropriate mix of solutions matched to individuals’ circumstances
- Do not criminalize the condition of being homeless
- Draw on the support of public, private, nonprofit and philanthropic partners
The Five Position Statements
Positions are sequenced along the continuum of prevention, treatment, and enforcement and are not ranked by priority.
- Shelter, housing and diversion: sustained investment in emergency shelter capacity, permanent supportive housing and diversion programs, including coordinated entry and release models such as the No Wrong Door initiative.
- Psychiatric crisis and step-down care: expanded funding for crisis care beds, step-down beds and long-term care, to reduce discharges back to the street and repeat cycles through the system.
- Involuntary commitment authority: extending emergency psychiatric-hold authority to psychiatrists, physicians and their delegates, rather than peace officers alone, enabling faster and more clinically appropriate intervention.
- Downtown police staffing: restoring Austin Police Department Downtown Area Command (DTAC) staffing to at least 90% of approved levels, in line with findings from the 2026 Downtown User Survey.
- Ordinance enforcement: stronger, consistent enforcement of the City’s panhandling ordinance (9-4-13) and sit/lie ordinance (9-4-14), paired with connections to Austin Community Court services.
The board-approved policy statement and positions provide clarity for allocation of DAA resources and its collaborative efforts and advocacy at the city, county, state and federal levels.
The DAA is committed to addressing downtown’s longstanding homelessness and mental health challenges, and is available to brief media, City Council offices, city departments and community partners on any of the five positions in greater detail.