Ending Community Homelessness Coalition

To qualify for federal money, Austin and other cities conduct what's called a point-in-time count of people sleeping outside or in emergency shelters.

The study looked at the causes of death of more than 1,000 people without housing who died over a five-year period.

Austin's Ending Community Homeless Coalition will set out to count as many people experiencing homelessness as possible on a single night on Jan. 25.

The new system sends urgent information, like where to find shelter during a cold snap, directly to a person's cellphone. More than 3,500 people received the first alerts last week, the city says.

Dianne Grey took over as the city was grappling with record high numbers of people experiencing homelessness and in the midst of a deadly pandemic.

Local nonprofits provide extra relief for those experiencing homelessness during heat waves. But advocates say more needs to be done year-round.

Advocates say the issue is much larger than adding more shelter beds. Permanent solutions are needed.

The city approved a contract with a California-based nonprofit that faces a handful of lawsuits back home. Service providers say the city moved too quickly.

"Every person has a role to play in supporting folks who are living outside," ECHO spokesperson Chris Davis said.

Austin's point-in-time count will instead rely on service requests to tally the number of unsheltered people living in the city.