AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- A new report from the Downtown Austin Alliance indicates the number of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness in the downtown area has dropped 55% in the past six months.
The Downtown Alliance's most recent count of the unsheltered population was conducted on Oct. 20, with an estimate of 365 people in the Downtown Public Improvement District. That compares to an estimated 813 people according to the group's count in May.
The reduction, according to the Downtown Alliance, is attributed to several factors, including the City of Austin's HEAL Initiative, as well as the reinstatement of the city's camping ban and the passage of a statewide camping ban that went into effect on Sept. 1.
"We remain cautiously optimistic about the progress as many people who were living unsheltered downtown accepted temporary housing provided by the City of Austin through the HEAL initiative," said Dewitt Peart, president and chief executive officer of the Downtown Alliance.
Despite the progress in reducing the unsheltered population, there is still a continued need for additional shelter, housing, and other services. "There is still much work to be done to help this population not only with housing, but also with supportive services," said Peart. "Continued progress is of paramount importance to ensure we are serving the people in our community that need help while also ensuring that our public spaces are safe and healthy for the everyone that lives, works and visits downtown Austin.”
The Downtown Alliance began its monthly counts in May in order to benchmark and consistently track the number of people living unsheltered in the downtown area, and coincides with the community-wide goal that seeks to house 3,000 additional homeless individuals in the next three years.
In addition to the community goal, the Downtown Alliance has also launched two new initiatives with local homeless partner agencies aimed at serving those in need, providing direct access to housing-focused behavioral healthcare and a reunification program for those experiencing homelessness.
"The Downtown Austin Alliance continues to advocate for and fund programs and projects that increase housing, shelter and other essential services needed for people experiencing homelessness," said Peart. "Our work in this area includes advancing the goals from the March-April Summit to Address Unsheltered Homelessness, providing capital funding for the expansion of Community First! Village and the development of Terrace at Oak Springs and the Salvation Army’s Rathgeber Center, funding the Homelessness Health and Wellness Center and family reunification partnership programs, and providing full-time employment opportunities for people experiencing homelessness through its Downtown Ambassadors program."