AUSTIN, Texas – The Austin City council voted for an amendment to increase funding for the Homeless Outreach Street Team, also known as HOST, to add a peer specialist.

The program will receive $195,000 for the new position.

HOST will use those funds to add a peer specialist to the team provided by Integral Care, a HOST partner. The specialist will help build trust with homeless people HOST serves using their own first-hand experience

HOST Program Manager Karen Dorrier said that having someone who has experienced homelessness allows the team to create stronger relationships with clients.

"We’re going to have a unique individual that can connect differently than we can connect with somebody,” Dorrier said.

Integral Care uses peer specialists in many areas of rehabilitation. Peer Specialist Bill Newcomb said it's easier for people who have lived those experiences to make those vital connections.

"“I’ve been suicidal, I’ve been psychotic, I’ve been manic. Relating to those experiences is not something you can get out of a book,” said Newcomb.

HOST has been active in Austin for two years. During that time, the team has been able to make connections with more than 1,400 people. Of those people, over 250 were connected to medical care and nearly 200 were connected to housing services.

The team is now looking for somebody to fill that peer specialist role. The candidate would have to go through a certification process to be approved for the job.

The job has been posted on Integral Care's career website.