AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin's homeless strategy officer, Dianna Grey, is stepping away from her position, city leaders confirmed Wednesday.
Grey has been in the position since January 2021, serving roughly two and a half years.
“Dianna will certainly be missed, and I am sorry to see her go,” said Interim City Manager Jesús Garza. “She held a very challenging position as the Homeless Strategy Officer during particularly challenging times. Her impressive portfolio of work includes formally establishing the City’s Homeless Strategy Division, building a team of dedicated staff, and positioning Austin to accomplish our goal of making homelessness brief, rare and nonrecurring. I wish her nothing but success in her future endeavors.”
Grey is the second person to hold the post, after the city's first hire - Lori Pampilo Harris - resigned after just a month.
The city's homeless strategy officer is responsible for coordinating the city’s response to homelessness across more than a dozen city departments. Garza said Grey, alongside efforts from Austin Public Health, has helped create a new emergency shelter at the city's Marshalling Yard and preparations to take over operations at the former Salvation Army shelter in downtown Austin.
City council members reacted to Grey's resignation, highlighting the work ahead for the city's homelessness efforts.
“Dianna Grey’s decision to resign from her position as the City’s Homeless Strategy Officer calls for an open and honest evaluation of our current approach to tackling homelessness. We must take this opportunity to reflect on our strategies, learn from our past mistakes, and forge a new path toward a more effective and compassionate response to this pressing issue,” said Council Member Mackenzie Kelly.
"Homelessness is one of the most difficult issues facing Austin," said - Council Member Ryan Alter. "As our Homeless Strategy Officer, Dianna Grey provided our community with invaluable expertise and vision to solve this challenge. I am grateful for her service to Austin and sad to see her go, but we know that she has left us with a strong foundation to continue our work addressing the needs of people experiencing homelessness."