AUSTIN, Texas — It costs millions of dollars to fund homelessness programs in Austin, and one city council member wants to make it easier to pay for those services.
At a city council meeting on Aug. 8, District 9 Councilmember Kathie Tovo will present an item in favor of creating a local government corporation to support homelessness services and housing.
"The measure I'm bringing forward in August is modeled after one that Dallas has. It has a local government corporation that does just this," Tovo told KVUE. "It raises money for programs for initiatives related to homelessness."
A board made up of several members who are appointed and representative of the City, along with a minimum of three external partners, would accept grant money and donations on the City's behalf and distribute those funds to groups that help the homeless population.
Making donations is a problem Tovo said people often bring up.
"They ask us sometimes for recommendations about organizations they can contribute funding to. This would be a central way we could accept private donations," she said. "We've got several very successful initiatives. What we need are more resources."
RELATED:
The corporation would likely be a joint-venture with Travis County, similar to the Dallas Area Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness.
"No one should have to sleep on the streets of our city or in the doorways or the alleys of our downtown. Every one of our neighbors deserves a safe and stable place to sleep," Tovo said.
Unlike the Sobering Center, which is also a local government corporation, Tovo said this one won't need a physical presence. And no administrative costs means more money for programs that really need it.
"What we really lack are the sufficient resources necessary to scale up those efforts," she said. "We just desperately need more funds."
Tovo first announced her initiative in a post on the city council's online forum.
PEOPLE ARE ALSO READING: