Homeless crisis: Austin looks for permanent supportive housing units

AUSTIN, Texas - The number of permanent supportive housing units in Austin is projected to increase by over 600% by 2026, according to city data shared at Tuesday’s city council work session. 

The latest numbers from ECHO put Austin's homeless count at roughly 6,683, with 1,153 currently sheltered and 5,530 currently unsheltered.

"The fact of the matter is we don't have the luxury of choosing if we want to go all in on more shelter or all in on more housing. We need both," said David Gray, homeless strategy office for the City of Austin.

In the last fiscal year, 3,324 clients utilized shelter beds, a city record.

"What that means is that our shelters are nearly full all the time…which is why we're charging ahead with trying to bring more shelter beds online and into operations," said Gray.

According to the city, the current need stands at roughly 800 beds, with 200 already in process at the Eight St. shelter and the Esperanza Community. 

TxDOT recently announced it had acquired a plot of land that will be used to expand the Esperanza Community, which is operated by The Other Ones Foundation.

"There are a variety of things that we need to have a robust homelessness response system," said Max Moscoe, director of communications for The Other Ones Foundation when FOX 7 stopped by the shelter earlier this month. "We need access to deeply affordable housing, which will take a lot of time and investment. And in the interim, we need more access to dignified, low-barrier shelter."

This comes as the city’s contract with the company operating the Marshalling Yard is coming to an end. According to Gray, the temporary shelter will start the process of closing its doors in May unless the city decides to authorize funds and extend the contract.

Ultimately, city leaders said the goal is permanent housing with wrap-around services.

"We know that the permanent supportive housing model is best practice," said Jamey May, housing and community development officer for the City of Austin’s Housing Department.

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According to the latest data, only 3% of those transitioning out of emergency shelters are ending up in permanent supportive housing. 

"Not every client needs that implementation. Some clients just require that rapid re-housing service. Some clients can actually be housed or reconnected with family or provided support in ways that would not necessarily have that permanency," said May. "However, we know that our inventory does not meet the entire need that is out there. So it is a question of how quickly we can build, how quickly we can occupy these units and provide the services."

May noted it can take, and has taken, years due to the need for initial capital, funding for ongoing services and the construction and permitting process. However, the city has prioritized this model in recent years and is now projecting a thousand new PSH units will be online by 2026.

The Housing Department also continues to explore new partnerships, and the Homeless Strategy Office will release a solicitation for landlord incentives starting as soon as the spring.