Homelessness

It's been a decade since the Community First Village for formerly homeless people opened. Now the development is forging ahead with a plan to build more homes.

It's not the first time Gov. Greg Abbott has used state troopers to sweep the capital's homeless encampments.

More than 2,000 pieces created by people experiencing homelessness will be displayed for sale during the show this weekend. Ninety-five percent of every purchase goes back to the artists.

The Other Ones Foundation offers shelter and job training for people looking to find a way out of homelessness.

The city will not renew its contract with the nonprofit Urban Alchemy after staff misrepresented some data. The contract is set to expire at the end of September.

The rules also prohibit "aggressive panhandling" and food distribution in public parking lots. City Council's unanimous vote Tuesday came despite concerns from advocates.

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.

Last year, the city allocated $30.3 million to help those experiencing homelessness, but that amount needs to more than double for the upcoming 2025-2026 fiscal year, according to the city's Homeless Strategy Office.

The City of Austin agreed to pay Housing Connector $2.14 million over two years. The company currently operates in at least three other cities, including Dallas, Denver and Portland, Oregon.

Central Health's bridge program offers an alternative to the emergency room when unhoused people have health needs.