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Engagements with people living on the street downtown
HEART Austin
Homelessness Engagement Assistance Response Team
A new approach to proactively engage people experiencing homelessness downtown.
The Homelessness Engagement Assistance Response Team, or HEART Austin, is a program that takes a new approach to proactively engage with and address the needs of people experiencing homelessness downtown.
HEART program practitioners work hand-in-hand with the Downtown Austin Alliance Ambassadors and Austin Police Department to address non-emergency issues, de-escalate behavioral issues, and provide interventions to address or prevent mental health episodes, interrupt behavioral disturbances, prevent crimes, and connect people to social services and housing resources. The self-initiated engagements from practitioners allow for relationship building, assessing individuals’ needs, connecting with and transporting to services and reuniting people with families and personal support networks.
The Downtown Ambassadors and the Austin Police Department interact with people experiencing homelessness downtown more than 120 times a day on average. HEART Austin helps amplify these existing efforts.
May 2025 Update
The HEART Austin pilot, initially a six-month engagement, was extended to eight months due to its effectiveness. City Council approved $440,000 in ongoing funding and $920,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to support a year-round program across the entire Downtown Public Improvement District (DPID). This version of the HEART Austin program took effect on May 1, 2025. The Downtown Austin Alliance continues to provide additional funding for increased outreach services in the DPID to actively address needs with housing-focused resources.
HEART Pilot Results
February 1, 2024 – September 30, 2024
120
People sheltered
3601
Social service activities (shoes, clothing, first aid supplies, Narcan, etc.)
53
People reunified with families
Frequently Asked Questions
What does the program do?
HEART Austin is a new approach to proactively address the needs of people experiencing homelessness in downtown, connecting people to social services and housing resources. The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce unsheltered homelessness.
HEART Practitioners work hand-in-hand with the Downtown Austin Alliance Ambassadors and Austin Police Department to de-escalate interactions and interventions to address and/or prevent mental health episodes, interrupt behavioral disturbances and prevent crimes.
What data does the program collect?
HEART, which employs a supervisor, practitioner and a communications/data quality coordinator collects the following information:
- Changes in quarterly PID unsheltered homeless counts
- Number of engagements and de-escalation interventions
- Placements/enrollments into shelter, services, housing, medical and/or mental health treatment
- Diversions from Austin Police Department resources
- Numbers of responses to service requests and self-initiated contacts, as well as response times
What makes this program different from other city initiatives about homelessness?
The program helps identify new ways to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness based on individual needs. HEART has the boots-on-the-ground, proactive engagement that has been successful in other communities, resulting in lasting change.
The self-initiated engagements by a HEART practitioner, as opposed to solely law enforcement, allows for relationship building, assessing individuals’ needs, connecting with and transporting to services and reuniting people with families/personal support networks.
What should you do if you see someone in distress?
Always call 911 whenever you see or are experiencing public activity of distress, violence or erratic behavior.
How can I support the program?
HEART Austin is a fully-funded program. The best way to help people living on the street is to donate resources and time to groups like Urban Alchemy, The Other Ones Foundation, Caritas of Austin and Austin ECHO, among many others.