Get Involved

During the scorching summer months, people living outside need some extra supports to remain safe and healthy. Find information and maps of cooling centers in our community, along with other ways you can help folks stay safe in the heat, on the Heat Help page below.

Keep a care kit or two in your car or bag to give out to someone who needs it. Here’s a good starting point for a care kit shopping list:

• Gallon-sized pastic bags
• Travel-size hygiene items
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Toothpaste/toothbrush & toothbrush holder
  • Deodorant
• Soft snacks
• Baby wipes/tissues
• Bottled water
• Socks (long, not ankle-length)
• Tampons/pads
• Flashlight + batteries
• Cash or HEB/Walmart gift card
• Bus passes
• Hand warmers (winter)
• Printed housing resource list (PDF)
• Card/note of encouragement

Mark Horvath, founder of the nonprofit Invisible People, asked people living outside what they most needed. Everyone’s needs are different, so if it’s possible to ask someone what they need, ask.

A collaboration between the Austin Youth Collective and Dell Medical School, this interactive webpage walks through some common experiences and barriers our unhoused neighbors face.

Voices from the Street

Learn more about this national best practice housing strategy from our partners at the National Alliance to End Homelessness

Join our and our partners’ mailing lists to stay informed on what’s happening locally, statewide, and nationally.

All meetings of the Austin/Travis County Homelessness Response System Leadership Council and associated committees and workgroups are open to the public, unless otherwise noted, at the links provided in the calendar. Community members are encouraged to attend meetings, engage in the conversation, share experiences and expertise, and ask questions. A slate of elected voting members make final decisions at the committee level. There are no formal voting members in workgroups.

Governance Meetings

Tell your local, state, and national elected officials you support permanent housing paired with supportive services to end homelessness in our community.

Not sure what to say? Try this sample letter.

Download Sample Letter