Get Involved
Help us end homelessness
Whether you’re volunteering with one of our partners, writing to your elected officials about the need for housing, delivering supplies to people, or taking any action that supports people working to find safe, stable places to live, ending homelessness in our community takes all of us.
Count with Us
Volunteer for the Point in Time (PIT) Count on January 25, 2025
Join us for this one-night survey of people experiencing homelessness. Sign up to join our volunteer list now and we’ll send you information to register and prepare when we get closer to the date of the Count.
Give
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Make a care kit
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.
Learn
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Voices From the Street
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.
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Housing First
Learn more about this national best practice housing strategy from our partners at the National Alliance to End Homelessness
What is Housing First?
Fact Sheet (PDF)
Evidence on Housing First
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Homelessness in Austin
Austin’s History of Homelessness
Homelessness at a glance
Reports & Research
Data Dashboard
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Stay Up to Date
Join our and our partners’ mailing lists to stay informed on what’s happening locally, statewide, and nationally.
Community Compass Newsletter
Our quarterly guide to the work to end homelessness in AustinTexas Homeless Network (THN) Mailing List
National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) Mailing List
Advocate
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Join governance meetings
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.
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Contact your elected officials
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.
Find your Austin City Council Member
Find your Travis County Commissioner
Find your Texas and U.S. representatives and senators