New $6.7M supportive housing funding in Austin

Austin and Travis County have opened a $6.7 million competition for nonprofits to run supportive services in permanent supportive housing for people leaving homelessness. (austintexas.gov) The City of Austin released the Request for Proposals on April 20, 2026, through its Homeless Strategies and Operations office with Travis County Health and Human Services. The funding would be spread over five years, and proposals are due June 2, 2026. (austintexas.gov) The money is for services, not just units: selected providers would deliver site-based case management, health care connections, employment help and other housing-stability support to residents who already have permanent supportive housing. The city and county said they expect to award contracts to as many as three providers for an initial 12-month term starting in September 2026. (austintexas.gov) Permanent supportive housing pairs long-term housing with on-site or closely linked services for people with the highest barriers to staying housed. Austin’s release said applicants must already be site-based providers with housing vouchers, which narrows the field to organizations that can place residents quickly. (austintexas.gov) The opening comes as Austin and Travis County are still managing a large homelessness caseload. ECHO’s 2025 Point-in-Time Count found 3,238 people experiencing homelessness on the night of Jan. 25-26, 2025. (austinecho.org) Local officials are framing supportive housing as a retention tool as much as a placement tool. In the April 20 announcement, Homeless Strategies and Operations Director David Gray said 98% of people housed through permanent supportive housing do not return to homelessness. (austintexas.gov) Austin has been adding capacity, but the city’s own 2025 ECHO report said the system still has gaps. The report said emergency shelter beds were up 70% since 2022, permanent housing beds were up 35%, and more than 3,000 people moved into housing last year. (austintexas.gov) This solicitation sits inside the AT-Home Initiative, a joint city-county effort that the April 20 release described as housing-focused and data-driven. Travis County Executive for Health and Human Services Pilar Sanchez said the county is adding this funding on top of $118 million in previous permanent housing investments. (austintexas.gov) The city’s contracting office said nonprofits that want to compete must be registered vendors and submit through the Partnergrants system. Award decisions later this spring and summer will determine which providers are positioned to expand supportive housing services by September. (austintexas.gov)