City staff work hard to help the homeless, but despite increased attention, the city's actions and responses to homelessness have been sporadic and unsustainable throughout history. With the enactment of the ordinance banning camping and other separatist proposals, tensions between the “homeless community” and the “community in general” heightened in 1996. In recent years, the city has implemented targeted strategies to serve specific groups of homeless people, such as children and veterans. However, these historic attempts did not always address the context in which homelessness occurs or the many complex and interrelated factors that contribute to a person becoming homeless. In April, local leaders set a goal of rehousing 3,000 homeless people over the next three years at the Summit to Address Homelessness in Austin.
While the City of Austin has made intermittent commitments to combat homelessness in Travis County, so far there has been no sustained or sustainable long-term effort or plan. The Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST) is an innovative, collaborative initiative that operates in the center and the west campus area, sometimes helping other parts of the city to address the needs of people living on the street. From 1985 to 2004, members of the Austin community identified homelessness as a problem that required attention and resources from policy makers. To reduce homelessness in Travis County, Texas, it is essential to identify gaps in research and policy that can provide opportunities to demonstrate increased compassion, understanding, and sustainable change for homeless people in Austin.
Additionally, it is important to create a comprehensive plan that addresses all aspects of homelessness and its causes. This plan should include initiatives such as providing housing assistance for those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless; increasing access to mental health services; creating job training programs; and providing access to education and job opportunities. Furthermore, it is important to create partnerships with local organizations and businesses that can provide resources for those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Finally, it is essential to create a system of support for those who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.
This system should include providing access to basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter; providing access to medical care; creating programs that provide job training and employment opportunities; and providing access to education and job opportunities. Additionally, it is important to create a system of accountability for those who are responsible for addressing homelessness in Travis County. By implementing these strategies, it is possible to reduce homelessness in Travis County, Texas. By identifying gaps in research and policy that can provide opportunities for increased compassion and understanding for those who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless; creating a comprehensive plan that addresses all aspects of homelessness; creating partnerships with local organizations and businesses; and creating a system of support for those who are currently homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, it is possible to create sustainable change that will reduce homelessness in Travis County.
