AUSTIN, Texas — People experiencing homelessness are at the center of a city-led effort that’s working to get them off the street and into more suitable living arrangements. The City of Austin’s Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative made progress Tuesday when 60 people were moved out of homeless encampments at Pack Saddle Pass and U.S. Highway 71 into temporary bridge shelters.

Both sites have been closed as HEAL aims to rid the city of homeless encampments that pose the highest public health and safety risks. The city and its partners provided those living at the encampments transportation to the shelter, and connected them to housing resources. With the development of a mobile encampment assessment tool, the city can measure which areas are more in need of intervention from HEAL.

“The city’s HEAL Initiative provides a compassionate response to homelessness, a safe move from encampments into shelter, plus a clear path to housing and services. HEAL continues to focus on resolving encampments with the highest health and safety risk factors,” said City of Austin Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey.

Austin City Council approved HEAL in February 2021. Since June 2021, more than 470 people at high-risk homeless encampments have voluntarily moved to Southbridge and Northbridge shelters. The initiative is a collaborative effort that involves the Austin Public Health Department and the Homeless Strategy Division who works closely with the Homeless Outreach Street Team (HOST), Integral Care, Austin Police Department, Austin Public Works Department, Austin Resource Recovery, Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, the Austin Area Urban League, and other community partners.

“Returning public spaces to the intended use is an important element of the HEAL Initiative. The Austin City Council recently authorized negotiations with the Texas Department of Transportation to pursue a variety of pedestrian and aesthetic enhancements at the Pack Saddle Pass and U.S. Highway 71 location,” according to the City of Austin.