Homelessness

Thousands of Austinites don't always sit down to a Thanksgiving meal with their friends and family. A handful of nonprofits are trying to change that.

Six people are vying to be the next mayor of Austin. Candidates addressed priority issues such as transportation, housing and policing during a forum hosted by KUT and the Austin Monitor.

Austinites voted last year to reinstate a ban on public camping. In other words, voters made living on the streets a crime. Experts say solving homelessness means building or finding thousands of homes for those who don’t have them. And that housing has to go somewhere.

Austin's bus operator is letting folks experiencing homelessness get a free ride to cool off — no questions asked.

The transit agency lowered its threshold to offer free rides by about 2 degrees — to 103. As a heat wave drags on, advocates have been calling for free rides throughout August and September.

Austin has struggled to house and shelter people living outdoors over the last few years. While the city's made some progress, it's not been without missteps.

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.

The report found service providers are making strides to get Black and Brown Austinites into housing.

Austin's system for sheltering people is facing issues as the city stares down another freeze. For one, its shelters can currently hold only 10% of the overall estimated population of Austinites living on the street.

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