Homelessness Initiatives
Reducing unsheltered homelessness in Downtown Austin.
To ensure downtown is a safe, healthy, vibrant and welcoming environment for all, we are committed to reducing unsheltered homelessness. We take a comprehensive, systems approach to tackle this challenging issue on all fronts, with the goal of preventing unsheltered homelessness and providing a continuum of care for those living unhoused.
We regularly quantify downtown’s unhoused population to inform our efforts and those of our partners. We collaborate with government, nonprofit and business leaders to develop innovative, research-based programs that connect people experiencing homelessness with housing and services. We also directly fund many programs and have been instrumental in supporting key efforts to increase the amount of safe, stable housing options. And we advocate for policy and planning to enhance our city’s homelessness system.
For more than 20 years, we have provided gainful employment opportunities to many people experiencing homelessness through our Downtown Austin Alliance Ambassadors program.
Trinity Center Family Reunification Program
In partnership with the Trinity Center, the Downtown Austin Alliance funded the expansion of the organization’s homelessness family reunification program. When a person experiencing homelessness requests to be reunified with someone, Trinity Center confirms that person commits to providing housing and care for that client. After verification, Trinity Center provides a bus ticket to transport the client to that location. From the program’s start in October 2021 through the end of 2023, 385 people experiencing homelessness have been reunified with their families or support systems.
Downtown Austin Unsheltered Homeless Count
Since 2021, the Downtown Austin Alliance has conducted periodic counts of persons, tents or makeshift structures and inhabited vehicles within the Downtown Public Improvement District. The count is limited to observation only and we use a multiplier to estimate the total number of individuals experiencing homelessness.
Over the last year, we have seen a significant decrease in people experiencing unsheltered homelessness downtown and an increase in folks getting connected to community support resources. This data helps inform our ongoing efforts to improve the circumstances for unsheltered individuals in Downtown Austin.
Supporting Shelter & Services
Community First! Village
In 2017, the Downtown Alliance pledged $2 million over 10 years ($200,000 per year) toward the development of Community First! Village, an internationally recognized community that provides people experiencing chronic homelessness with housing, services, income-generating opportunities and the ability to build fulfilling lives. This grant was the largest in the history of our organization.
Homelessness Health and Wellness Center
Research funded by the Downtown Austin Alliance identified a critical need for increased behavioral health services to help people transition out of homelessness and prevent them from returning to the streets. This led us to create a program with Integral Care and Downtown Austin Community Court that provides people experiencing homelessness downtown with direct access to housing-focused behavioral health care using the Terrace at Oak Springs as the service hub.
Additional Community Contributions
For more information on all of the contributions to the community our organization makes, check out our Community Investments page.
See All Community Investments⟶HEART Austin
With partners, we created the Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) Austin, a street outreach team that proactively engages with people experiencing homelessness to understand their needs and connect them with housing, healthcare and other resources. A successful HEART pilot was conducted in 2024, however, the program ended when the city’s Homeless Strategy Office did not renew its contracts with Urban Alchemy.
Learn More⟶Recent News
Issues & Eggs: Intersection of Behavioral Health and Public Safety
Issues & Eggs: Intersection of Behavioral Health and Public Safety On October 7, Downtown Austin Alliance hosted a continued conversation on mental health and public safety in our community. Since the launch of Travis County’s Mental Health Diversion Pilot in...
Learn More⟶City of Austin and Downtown Austin Alliance Announce Joint Task Force to Address Homelessness in Downtown Austin
AUSTIN, Texas – The City of Austin and Downtown Austin Alliance announce the Downtown Homelessness Task Force, a cross-agency initiative to reduce homelessness in Downtown Austin by curbing the inflow of newly unhoused individuals and increasing the number of people transitioning...
Learn More⟶October 2024 Safety Forum Recap
On October 17, the Downtown Austin Alliance hosted its monthly virtual Safety Forum, where officials provided updates on safety, crime data and upcoming initiatives impacting downtown Austin. Austin Police Department Update At the forum, Austin Police Department Commander Craig Smith...
Learn More⟶