Austin and Downtown Alliance Launch Collaborative Task Force to Tackle Homelessness in Downtown Austin

AUSTIN, Texas – The City of Austin, in partnership with the Downtown Austin Alliance, has launched the Downtown Homelessness Task Force, a multi-agency effort focused on reducing homelessness in the city’s core. The initiative is designed to both prevent new cases of homelessness downtown and expand opportunities for individuals to transition from the streets into housing, shelter, or diversion programs.

“This initiative represents the collective dedication of many partners to create lasting improvements for Downtown Austin,” said David Gray, the City’s Homeless Strategy Officer. “We’ve seen people being released directly to the streets and others brought downtown without the support they need. By working together, we can address these gaps and deliver solutions that are both compassionate and effective.”

The task force is composed of representatives from city and state agencies, nonprofits, and healthcare providers. Key partners include the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office, Austin Police Department, Austin Community Court, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Downtown Austin Alliance, Integral Care, Travis County, Central Health, the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, Trinity Center, and the Travis County Attorney’s Office, among others. Together, these organizations are working on a unified, outcome-driven plan to address the challenges of homelessness downtown.

“Making sure that vulnerable individuals are connected to housing-focused services—rather than released back into homelessness—is vital to both their wellbeing and the overall health of downtown,” said Bill Brice, Senior Vice President of the Downtown Austin Alliance. “We’re grateful for the strong participation of service providers and agencies in this critical collaboration.”

By the end of the year, the task force aims to release a clear roadmap that outlines actionable policies, designates lead agencies, and sets an implementation timeline. Each partner organization has committed to backing these strategies and supporting them through continued collaboration.

Meanwhile, the City continues to fund and support several programs that target homelessness in the downtown area. For example, the Homeless Strategy Office and Downtown Austin Alliance jointly fund Urban Alchemy, which deploys the Homelessness Engagement Assistance Response Team to manage non-emergency issues and de-escalate behavioral conflicts. In addition, the Homeless Outreach Street Team—a collaboration among Austin Police, EMS, Integral Care, the Community Court, and the Homeless Strategy Office—delivers medical and mental health services to unhoused individuals.

These combined efforts have already produced visible results. The number of tents and makeshift structures downtown has fallen from nearly 500 in May 2021 to fewer than 50 as of April 2025. Still, the overall count of people experiencing homelessness in the area has remained steady, ranging between 400 and 500 according to quarterly surveys conducted by the Downtown Austin Alliance.

Source: Downtown Austin Alliance