Lived Expertise
Leading with experience
People who’ve had to access housing and services through our Homelessness Response System are keenly aware of ways to improve service delivery. ECHO coordinates two groups of people who have lived expertise of homelessness in our community to inform our system, the Austin Youth Collective (AYC) and the Austin Homelessness Advisory Council (AHAC).
Austin Youth Collective
The Austin Youth Collective (AYC) is our community’s Youth Action Board (YAB), originally created with the goal of informing and advancing work associated with the Youth Homelessness Demonstration Program (YHDP) grant awarded in 2018. AYC has since expanded its mission to consult on a broad range of HRS policies, initiatives, and funding opportunities, as well as plan and execute projects around the Collective’s advocacy and community engagement priorities.
Austin Homelessness Advisory Council
The Austin Homelessness Advisory Council (AHAC) is a group of people with lived experience created by the City of Austin in 2017 to consult on programs and initiatives throughout the Homelessness Response System. Now coordinated by ECHO, the group holds biweekly meetings to provide feedback on projects and priorities from the City’s Homeless Strategy Office, ECHO, and service provider partners.