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Tag Archives: ECHO

New forecast modeling puts Austin homeless population near 4,600

New methods for counting and forecasting by one of Austin’s leading homelessness services organizations suggests nearly 4,600 people are experiencing homelessness in the city, far higher than previous estimates and counts using federal guidelines. The new figure was revealed at…

Downtown Alliance praises 'transformation' of ARCH under new management

Just months after the management switch-up at the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, the Downtown Austin Alliance is praising what it calls “transformational change” at the downtown men’s shelter. The alliance’s safety and hospitality committee toured the facility in…

ECHO offers lease incentives to real estate agents for placing homeless tenants

Real estate agents in Austin have an incentive to find market-rate homes for those experiencing homelessness, and help one of the city’s main homeless services nonprofits lower the number of people facing housing instability. Austin’s Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, known…

City anticipating three new hotels for homeless housing

The city expects to have about 190 new hotel rooms available by the end of June to provide permanent supportive housing to homeless people who are found to need long-term assistance to avoid winding up on the streets again. Approximately…

Tax break proposal prompts call for changes to county's public-private partnerships

The Travis County Commissioners Court may consider changes to the county’s affordable housing program to encourage apartment developers to provide more meaningful rent reductions in exchange for property tax abatements. Commissioner Brigid Shea suggested future changes as commissioners deliberated two…

Austin's homeless population remained steady during pandemic, survey shows

Austin’s homeless population has remained steady since last year, according to the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s annual count. All told, this year’s count found 3,160 people were experiencing homelessness in Austin, ECHO says. The agency says 2,238 people were unsheltered,…

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Big-picture look at homelessness downtown shows challenges ahead

A cross-section of representatives briefed the Downtown Commission on Wednesday about an ambitious suite of strategies underway to house unsheltered individuals in Austin. Their message was clear: The city and its partners are doing an enormous amount of work toward providing…

The city is closing shelters it set up for homeless Austinites during Covid. Residents want to know when.

Last Wednesday, Helen Davis was in St. Louis, tired, sore and 825 miles from home without bus fare or a place to stay. As cars whizzed by, she wracked her brain, trying to think of an excuse – something to…

Austin sees 10-year high in the number of people experiencing homelessness

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Austin hit a 10-year high in 2020, according to a new report. Data from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition’s point-in-time count show that 2,506 people were homeless on the night of the annual…

Council members support using hotels to house homeless, but are wary of locations and quick timeline

Austin City Council members say they’re concerned about the timeline, placement and funding strategy for a plan to expand efforts to buy and retrofit hotels to house homeless Austinites. Last month, Council OK’d a plan to buy the Rodeway Inn…

Proposed partnership with ECHO would convert more motels to temporarily house Austin's homeless

ECHO, the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, says the addition of 200-300 short-term motel units would substantially impact the community of Austinites living without shelter. In a memo sent Tuesday to the mayor and City Council, city staff said they agree.…

Austin Monitor Radio: ECHO's Matthew Mollica

Earlier this month, Matthew Mollica stepped into his new post as executive director for the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition. On this edition of Austin Monitor Radio, he talks to Monitor reporter Jessi Devenyns about the timing of that move, how Austin…

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