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Faith and service groups ask Travis County to help address homelessness, shelter access
Summary
Faith leaders and nonprofit providers urged the court to identify county land for sanctioned camping, investigate shelter access and bed counts, and prioritize family-centered shelter options as homelessness persists across Travis County.
Faith leaders and nonprofit representatives urged the Commissioners Court to take a more active role in addressing homelessness in Travis County, asking the county to identify land for sanctioned camping, investigate how people access shelter systems, and prioritize family-centered shelter capacity.
"We bring policy priorities forward every year," said Andy Brower of Central Presbyterian Church and the Homeless Advocacy Project, adding that "there's 1 shelter bed for every 5 people who are homeless." Brower asked the court to "identify land" for sanctioned camping sites and to initiate an inquiry into shelter-bed counts and access rules so that scarce shelter beds are prioritized for the most vulnerable.
Kim McCorkle of Homemade Austin and Lynn Williams of HomeAid Austin reinforced the call for family-centered shelter and transitional housing that keeps parents and children together. McCorkle said nearly 1,000 Austin ISD students were identified as experiencing homelessness in August 2025, and Williams described the Peace Family Housing project under development in Precinct 4 as a model that could be replicated with county support.
Speakers asked the court to consider budget priorities and to remove barriers that slow public–private housing projects; the court did not announce specific follow-up actions during the meeting.
