Get Help
Need housing?
A good first step toward finding a stable place to live is doing a Coordinated Assessment (CA), our community’s centralized housing assistance application. ECHO doesn’t operate housing programs or provide direct services – our job is to help coordinate the organizations who do, and the CA is how we tell them you’re looking for a place.
If you are fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence, our partners at SAFE may have additional resources available.
Printable CA Flyer (PDF) (Updated August 2024)
How to do Your CA
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Who Can Do a CA
Anyone who’s currently experiencing homelessness in Austin and Travis County can do a CA.
This can mean a couple different things:
- Living in an emergency shelter or a place not meant to live in (tent, car, abandoned building, etc.)
OR - Fleeing or attempting to flee domestic violence
If you are in an unstable housing situation such as staying with a friend, “couch surfing,” renting your own hotel room, or renting a board and care room, then we usually cannot complete this assessment. Please see the additional resources listed below.
It’s also a good idea to do a CA if:
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It’s been six months since your last CA
Due to the lack of housing options in our community, it can take months or longer to get connected with a housing program. It’s a good idea to do a new CA if you haven’t been referred to a housing program after six months. A lot can change in that time, and having the most up-to-date information helps us connect you with the right provider.
If you don’t do another CA after six months, that’s OK, too. We won’t remove your information from the database unless you ask us to, so housing programs will still know you’re looking for a place even if it’s been a while since you’ve talked to an assessor.
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Something significant has changed in your situation
If you’ve already done a CA, but something changes in your living situation, it’s a good idea to do another even if it hasn’t been six months. These changes can include:
- Adding members to your household you intend to live with
- Removing household members
- Finding a different living situation than when you did your first CA
For more minor changes, like updating your email or phone number, you can contact any of the agencies listed in the “How to do your CA” section below and request they update your profile.
- Living in an emergency shelter or a place not meant to live in (tent, car, abandoned building, etc.)
There are more than 75 people at 23 organizations across Austin and Travis County who are trained to help you do a CA.
You can do yours in one of four ways:
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In person (You go to them)
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Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center
When: Monday-Friday, 9a-1p
Where: 4430 Menchaca Rd.
What: Drop in to do your CA and get access to other resources like food, clothing, healthcare, showers, and more
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Downtown Austin Community Court (DACC)
When: Wednesday, 11a-3p
Where: 505 Barton Springs Rd., first floor
What: Drop in to do your CA on a first-come, first-served basis on Wednesdays. Other services, like ID and healthcare access, are available every weekday at this same location.
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Urban Alchemy (ARCH)
When: Monday-Friday, 8a-4:30p
Where: 500 E 7th. St.
What: Drop by the ARCH to do your CA and ask about shelter, healthcare, and other services
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The SAFE Alliance
When: By appointment only
What: Survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and child abuse can contact SAFEline at 512-267-SAFE (7233) for a referral to a confidential CA and other services
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The Charlie Center
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In person (They come to you)
This is a list of providers that do street outreach. In addition to doing a CA, they can bring things like water, food, first aid supplies, clothing, and other necessities.
Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center
Click to fill out a form online and a mobile team will come to youUrban AlchemyClick to email atxoutreach@urban-alchemy.us and request a team come to you
HOST (Homeless Outreach Street Team) Call Now
Click to call 512-804-3720 and request a team come to youPATH (Programs for Assistance in the Transition from Homelessness) Call Now
Integral Care
Call 512-804-3700 and request a team to come to youCapital MetroClick to email community.intervention@capmetro.org and request a CA
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Through a program you’re already connected to
If you’re working with one of these organizations already, they can help you do your CA. Talk to your case manager or your other point of contact at the organization to start the process.
- CommUnityCare (Care Connections Clinic and ARCH locations)
- Integral Care (CARE program for people staying at bridge shelters)
- The Other Ones Foundation (TOOF)
- The Salvation Army shelters (Rathgeber Center and Women & Children’s Shelter)
- Travis County Mental Health Public Defender Office
- Family Eldercare (age 55 and older)
- LifeWorks (youth and young adults)
Learn More
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About the CA
The Coordinated Assessment (CA) is a housing needs evaluation where anyone experiencing homelessness in Austin/Travis County can apply for the majority of our community’s housing programs. If and when an applicant matches with a program, the program will reach out.
The CA is a questionnaire that generally takes less than an hour to complete. A trained outreach provider will ask questions about you, your current episode of homelessness, your health, and your history with housing insecurity (Note: The CA does not ask about immigration status.) This information helps to connect you with housing options that fit what you want and need.
Your answers are stored in a secure database that’s only accessible to people trained and licensed to use it – mostly people who run housing programs and have other resources to offer. When providers have space in a program, they refer to the database to find the next person to serve. Because of the lack of housing in our community, it can take months or longer to be contacted by a program, and the CA does not guarantee you will be connected to a place to live. However, it’s usually better to do one than not, because it connects you to more than 20 organizations that use the CA to enroll people in their housing programs.
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What to do next
When one of the organizations we partner with has an opening in a housing program that fits what you want and need, they contact you, provide you a case manager, and begin the process of finding you a place to live. This can take some time, so we suggest continuing your housing search.
The programs below offer affordable housing in our community and take applications other than the CA:
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Public Housing & Section 8
Click the links below for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA) and the Housing Authority of Travis County (HATC) and submit your information. You must apply separately to every property you are interested in, and the Section 8 Waitlist is currently closed. If you previously submitted an application for any of these programs, go to myhaca.org to find out where you are on the waitlist.
Green Doors
or call (512) 469-9130 or toll free at 1-866-412-6591Community First! Village
or call 512-804-3264Foundation Communities (Single Resident and Family Properties)
or call 512-610-4010Other Direct HUD Properties
click on “Find Affordable Housing Opportunities Near Me.” -
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Frequently Asked Questions
Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, if you have any of the following questions, please understand we will not contact you to answer them:
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How long will I need to wait for someone to contact me about housing? Can I get an update on where I am on the prioritization list?
Unfortunately, we are unable to estimate how long it will take for a housing provider to contact you to offer housing assistance. Please understand that housing programs have a limited capacity, and it takes time for providers to contact all the people we assess. It may take longer than 6 months to be contacted, and if you have not heard from a housing provider within that time we ask that you meet with us again to update your information. We urge everyone to continue working on alternative housing options while they wait.
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Do I need to be re-assessed? Do I need to re-complete the process?
You only need to be reassessed/re-complete the process if it has been longer than 6 months from your last assessment and a housing provider has not contacted you OR if your family make-up has changed. For example, if you no longer plan to live with members listed on your household or there are new members to add.
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How do I update my contact information (phone number and/or email address)?
Any of our community’s HMIS users can update your contact information. The Community Assessment Access table (above) lists many, though not all, of the places you can update your info. If you have a case manager that has access to HMIS they can also update any contact information you may have.
Additional HMIS users include:
- A New Entry
- Any Baby Can
- Caritas of Austin
- Casa Marianella
- Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
- Catholic Charities of Central Texas
- City of Austin – Austin Public Libraries (APL), Communicable Disease Unit (CDU), Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), Austin Public Health (APH)
- Foundation Communities
- Foundation for the Homeless
- Front Steps
- Goodwill Industries of Central Texas
- Green Doors
- Housing Authority of the City of Austin (HACA)
- Housing Authority of Travis County (HATC)
- Maximizing Hope
- Meals on Wheels and More
- Mobile Loaves and Fishes
- Mosaic Church Austin
- Refugee Services of Texas
- Saint Louise House
- Sobering Center
- Travis County – Health & Human Services, Veteran Services, Public Defender’s Office
- Vivent Health
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I do not speak English very well. Will I be able to complete the process?
Yes, all certified Coordinated Entry assessors can utilize language line interpreting services. The language line provides access to interpreters for more than 200 languages.
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I have young children. Can I bring them to the meeting?
Yes, you are welcome to bring your children with you to complete an assessment.
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What if I am currently in jail or prison, can the Coordinated Entry assessment help me?
If you were homeless before being in jail or prison AND have stayed in jail or prison for 90 days or less, then you are eligible to complete an assessment.
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Who can I call for Emergency Shelter services?
Please use the search tool below to find emergency services, including shelter, near you.
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Can you help me find community resources to help with basic needs such as healthcare, food, and employment?
Please use the search tool below for community resource information.
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How can my organization offer Coordinated Assessments?
ECHO requires a progression of skills, comfort, and data entry in HMIS before going through the CA training. This ensures better data, quality, collection, and for new assessors to feel comfortable with the skills required to complete once trained.
Please click here to fill out the Partner With Us form to start the process.
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