City offering $2.2 million in contracts to prevent homelessness

The City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office (HSO) has announced a $2.2 million funding opportunity aimed at preventing homelessness among at-risk individuals and families. The initiative seeks to provide rental assistance, financial support, and other services to help households maintain stable housing and avoid entering the homelessness response system. ​ The funding aims to make homelessness rare, brief, and nonrecurring by helping individuals and families stabilize their housing situations before they experience homelessness. Eligible organizations may apply until May 20, 2025. ​HSO may award up to three contracts, with the cumulative total not exceeding $2,212,508. ​”Funding homeless prevention programs is one of the most effective, economical, and ethical investments we can make, because we are stopping homelessness before it starts,” said David Gray, the city’s homeless strategy officer in a statement to the press. “By stabilizing individuals and families while they are still housed, we are reducing the number of people relying on emergency shelters, sleeping in cars, waiting for temporary housing, or camping in public spaces.” ​Interested organizations must be registered vendors with the City of Austin and submit applications through the PartnerGrants system. Details on registration and application procedures are available on the city’s Homeless Strategy Office Competitions page.