More people moved into housing in 2024 as our local Homelessness Response System grew and became more efficient

Insights and analysis in the 2025 State of the System report will inform continued investment in lasting solutions to end homelessness

AUSTIN, Texas (Oct. 8, 2025) – The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) on Wednesday published the 2025 State of the System Report, an annual overview of the people, programs, and progress within Austin/Travis County’s Homelessness Response System (HRS). The report provides in-depth analysis of the population providers served last year, the kind and quality of services our System provided, and areas for improvement and further analysis.

The report is available here.

Watch ECHO leadership and local leaders share remarks and a short presentation highlighting key aspects of the report, courtesy of KXAN:

Using data from our local Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), the State of the System highlights how HRS partners worked collaboratively to connect people experiencing homelessness to housing, shelter, supportive services, and other resources. (HMIS is the person-level database ECHO administers for our community that allows providers to track people’s needs and coordinate services.)

“This report is about recognition – recognition for the work being done every day by our community’s social service agencies and recognition for our funders, both government and philanthropy, for working together towards a shared vision for Austin’s future with boundless potential for all,” said ECHO Executive Director Matt Mollica. “Every day, people in this community show up for our shared cause with the recognition that there is always more to do and that the only way forward is together.”

“I’m encouraged and pleased by the progress that this report reveals. We’re not yet where we need to be, but we have clear evidence the planning we’re doing and the investments we’ve made as a City are having a real impact for people living on our streets,” said Austin Mayor Kirk Watson.

ECHO’s Research & Evaluation Team conducted the analysis and identified five key takeaways from the data:

• After years of under-investment in services, our System is growing to match the needs of our community, as indicated by the 108% increase in the number of beds and units available since 2019.
• Fewer people are coming to providers for help for the first time. Last year saw a 5% drop in the percentage of people served who were experiencing homelessness for the first time.
• More people are moving into permanent housing. More than 3,000 people found places to live through the HRS in 2024, an increase of nearly 400 people from the previous year. Our community has prioritized investments in long-term solutions like Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), and it’s paying off: Providers moved 40% more people into PSH in 2024 than in 2023.
• Disparities still exist amongst several groups, including Black people, older adults with high medical needs or disabilities, survivors of domestic violence, and youth and parenting youth. These groups deserve additional focus to ensure none of our unhoused neighbors are suffering more than others.
• Our HRS is becoming more efficient. More units available meant more people were able to move inside more quickly than in past years, shaving nearly four months (115 days) off the median wait time between completing a housing assessment and moving into a place to live. The median wait time is still close to year (356 days), however, indicating a need to continue investing in lasting solutions.

“The findings in this report highlight the critical importance of sustaining our momentum as a community. Our emergency shelter capacity has grown by more than 70% year over year. We are demonstrating that it is possible to address immediate needs without compromising the long-term strategies required to ensure everyone has access to stable housing and the support they need to thrive,” said Director of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations, David Gray.

The 2025 State of the System report is Austin/Travis County’s first update on system-wide performance since the Austin City Council voted in January to adopt the 2024 report and associated system modeling as a guideline to inform investments in ending homelessness. As Chair of the Public Health Committee, Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes championed the resolution that calls for roughly $350 million in investments over the next ten years to effectively end homelessness in our community.

Austin’s Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget, approved by council members in August, is responsive to the needs this report identifies, investing more in housing, shelter, and supportive services to get people back into housing quickly and permanently. Travis County voters will decide next month whether to raise property taxes to fully realize these investments and move our community closer to a future without homelessness.

“Housed or unhoused, Austin is a city that values your dignity. While we can’t end homelessness alone or overnight, we can move with the urgency and compassion needed to create a city that prioritizes care over punishment. An Austin where everyone has a safe place to call home,” said Austin Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes.

About the Cover:

The cover of the 2025 State of the System report is a painting by local artist Jefferson Bright. Bright painted the piece, titled “Unarranged,” at Art from the Streets (AFTS), a nonprofit dedicated to providing studio space and supplies to artists who are or have been homeless in our community. Bright said of his process: “I start off with the scary stuff first – put the brilliant color on, and work it out. Instead of waiting to see if it’s going to turn out, I just go right in with whatever I like and then make it work.”

To learn more about AFTS and purchase prints and merchandise, visit artfromthestreets.org.