SOURCE: KUT AUSTIN
Starting today, Austin’s homeless shelter is officially a housing-focused shelter, shifting its resources to longer-term efforts and less on day-to-day emergency shelter operations.
Under a contract with the city, Front Steps, the operator of the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, had an Oct. 1 deadline to shift its focus. Front Steps began transitioning in April, after City Council approved the contract. The new model pairs clients with case management services that aim to find housing resources before a client leaves the shelter.
Front Steps CEO Greg McCormack says the shift will ultimately mean fewer beds and fewer opportunities for daily services like storage and day-sleeping, but it will ultimately house more Austinites.