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Austin City Council passes several items addressing homelessness Thursday

One of the items directs the city manager to research best practices for setting up temporary designated encampments on public land.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council has a busy agenda Thursday, and on that agenda are several items intended to address homelessness across the city.

This comes just days after Austin voted to reinstate the public camping ban on May 1. The ban is set to go back into effect on May 11.

Here's a rundown on the agenda items:

Item 14 – Passed on consent agenda

Approve negotiation and execution of an agreement with Caritas of Austin for the ImpACT Program to provide permanent supportive housing to individuals who have experienced chronic homelessness and are the highest utilizers of crisis services, in an amount not to exceed $600,000 for the term May 6, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2023, with two 12-month extension options in an amount not to exceed $600,000 and $660,000 respectively, for a total contract amount not to exceed $1,860,000.

Item 16 – Passed on consent agenda 

Authorize negotiation and execution of Amendment No. 4 to an agreement with Austin/Travis County Mental Health and Mental Retardation Center, d/b/a Integral Care to provide rapid rehousing services to individuals experiencing homelessness for a 16-month period ending Sept. 30, 2022, in an amount not to exceed $500,000, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $2,704,112.

Item 17 – Passed on consent agenda 

Authorize negotiation and execution of Amendment No. 4 to an agreement with Family Eldercare, Inc. to expand rapid rehousing services to individuals experiencing homelessness for a 16-month term ending September 30, 2022, in an amount not to exceed $1,400,000, for a revised total agreement amount not to exceed $2,290,806.

Item 18 – Passed on consent agenda 

Authorize negotiation and execution of an agreement with Front Steps Inc. to provide non-congregate emergency shelter services for persons experiencing homelessness who are at higher risks of negative health complications due to COVID-19, in an amount not to exceed $1,255,787 for a nine-month term from May 15, 2021, through Jan. 31, 2022.

Item 20 – Passed on consent agenda 

Authorize negotiation and execution of an agreement with Front Steps, Inc. to provide bridge shelter and connections to housing for a 17-month period ending Sept. 30, 2022, in an amount not to exceed $2,600,000, with three 12-month extension options each in an amount not to exceed $1,300,000, for a total agreement amount not to exceed $6,500,000.

Item 70 – Passed unanimously

Approve a resolution affirming the Council's commitment to the goal of working with housing-focused community partners to end homelessness in Austin and directing the City Manager to research best practices related to temporary designated encampments on public land, to present Council with a description of and budget for appropriate infrastructure at designated encampments, to provide criteria for citing designated encampments, and to identify publicly-owned land or land within the city limits owned by willing community partners that could accommodate temporary housing.

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