City of Austin Could Reinstate Homeless Prevention Services Lost During Pandemic

Austin-based Nonprofit Groups Call for the Revival of Homelessness Prevention Measure

AUSTIN – Nonprofit organizations that are committed to preventing and ending homelessness are calling on the City Council members of Austin to re-establish some homeless prevention measures lost during the pandemic.

The request comes as the city tries to balance its budget for the Homeless Strategy Office. The task becomes more challenging as the federal pandemic funding is expected to run out, leading to inevitable budget cuts.

Homelessness Prevention Measures to be Prioritized

One of the groups making such plea is Best Single Source Plus (BSS+), a coalition of twelve nonprofits that unite efforts to enhance homelessness services. The consortium, while acknowledging the efforts of some groups focusing on permanent supportive housing, is asking the council members for increased interventions even before someone ends up homeless.

The focus of BSS+ is to return funding to homeless prevention services like rental and utilities assistance that were shifted when the city received federal pandemic funding via the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars.

Preventative Services Funding Reduction

BSS+ expressed concerns about the switch of the city’s funding from preventative services to accommodating those who were already homeless due to the influx of ARPA funds. Their request revolves around the hopes that preventative services can once again be funded by the City of Austin.

Developing a Data Tool for Budget Planning

In the meantime, the City of Austin is collaborating with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) to create a new data instrument. This tool is intended to shape budget conversations moving forward by better predicting the consequences on homelessness response system as funding is allocated into particular services.

The planning and policy unit manager in the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office, Gary Pollack, remains hopeful that the tool will be ready this summer, ushering in an era of effective community planning for the future of homeless services in Austin.