City of Austin holding event to honor organizations that work with homeless population

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Austinites will get the chance Tuesday evening to meet some of the nonprofit organizations working with the City of Austin to address homelessness.

The city's Homeless Strategy Division and Innovation Office, along with Blue Sky Partners, will host an event from 4-6 p.m. at City Hall to honor the work of organizations that support the homeless population in the city.

The event is being put on through the Homeless Services Organizational Capacity Building Initiative, which, the city said in a release, "aims to deepen and scale the impact of programs and services that assist people experiencing homelessness, especially organizations led by Black, Indigenous, and people of color, or who employ people with lived experience of homelessness."

Through the initiative, a group of 21 nonprofit service providers were selected to receive technical assistance and grants of up to $45,000. According to the release, the initiative "reinforces the City's commitment to expanding services, improving equity, and supporting minority-led organizations within the Homelessness Response System."

Participating organizations completed a needs assessment and joined a 10-week cohort-based accelerator program. The accelerator was facilitated by Blue Sky Partners alongside city staff and community partners to ensure responsiveness to the needs of Austin’s homeless community, per the release. 

According to the city, the community showcase is the culmination of that work.

“This event will provide an opportunity for our partner organizations who have supported people experiencing homelessness to be honored for their services. Many of the organizations represented at this event have not been previously funded by the City of Austin, and through this initiative and community event we’re excited to bring a spotlight to their important work,” said Homeless Strategy Division Policy & Engagement Unit Manager Gary Pollack.

All organizations at the event will have a featured table where guests are can learn more about their work.

Those interested in attending can register online. Parking validation for the City Hall parking garage will be available.