Service providers urge council to fully fund Homeless Strategy Office and include it in proposed tax-rate election

Speakers at the Austin City council's Aug. 5 budget work session urged the council to fully fund the Homeless Strategy Office plan and to put a tax rate election (TRE) on the ballot to provide ongoing revenue for shelter, housing vouchers and supportive services.

The request came from a coalition of service providers, housing advocates and residents who said temporary pandemic-era funding is ending and that failing to secure local, sustained revenue will push people back into homelessness and strain emergency services. “These amendments are not abstract numbers — they’re commitments to keep Austin a place where people can survive a crisis,” said Aloki Shaw, president of United Workers of Integral Care, calling for “at least $3,000,000 a year in ongoing funding for 24/7 EMCOT” and $2,500,000 for local housing vouchers.

Advocates said the funding is time-sensitive. Walter Moreau, director of Foundation Communities, described years of experience operating supportive housing and told the council that voters will want a concrete, costed plan if asked for ballot approval. “If we go to the voters for their support, they're gonna wanna know we've got a plan, and we do,” Moreau said.

Why it matters: Speakers said the current system depends on one-time federal and ARPA funds that are expiring and that a sustained local revenue source…