AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, the Austin City Council voted to increase the amount of funding for several organizations helping the homeless populations in the city.
The additional funds come from the $63 million allocated to homelessness in the City's budget.
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Gaps in funding for the Guided Path, funding for Integral Care, Front Steps, Family Eldercare, Caritas of Austin and the Salvation Army will be covered by the passing of the resolution.
The Salvation Army said the money would be used to help increase case management at its downtown shelter.
Case managers are integral to helping homeless individuals get jobs and find housing.
The Salvation Army said the shelter is at just under 50% case managed, compared to other shelters in the area that are 100% case managed. The case managers at the downtown shelter are taking on up to 22 families each.
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"So with this increased funding, we'll be hiring more case managers and also increasing our case management load by getting more people who are in are shelter program more case managed so they can get into affordable housing and improve their financial status," said Corey Leith, a spokesperson for the Salvation Army.
Leith said the shelter's long-term goal is to become 100% case managed, and the funding from these resolutions could bring the shelter close to 70%.
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