Austin homeless strategy officer recommends city consolidate homeless contracts

100+ homeless contracts without coordination

Austin's new homeless strategy officer says the city needs to consolidate its homeless-related contracts. Currently there are more than 100 contracts related to homeless issues worth millions, but are all managed by different departments.

AUSTIN, Texas - Austin's new homeless strategy office says the city needs to consolidate its homeless-related contracts.

Last month, city leaders created a stand-alone office on homeless strategy, which is being led by David Gray.

Gray updated Austin City Council on Wednesday, Dec. 13 about his review of the homeless response since June.

Austin homeless crisis at inflection point

Austin's interim homeless strategy officer David Gray has been on the job for just a few weeks. He says the city's response to the homeless crisis is at an inflection point.

Currently, the city of Austin has more than 100 contracts related to homeless issues, worth tens of millions of dollars.

Turns out, contracts are managed by different departments without frequent coordination.

"We see this as an opportunity for us to consolidate and strategize around our investments, everything from developing contracts to managing and monitoring those contracts," Gray said. "We also think this would not only give us the opportunity for better oversight, but also yield better outcomes for clients by being able to move nimbly and pivot funding and pivot investments as needed."