People Experiencing Homelessness

Scroll down this page to find information about: 

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• Austin's Homelessness Advisory Committee 

• Coping Skills Zine

• An overview of the i-team's ongoing projects

We asked members of Austin's Homelessness Advisory Committee (AHAC) to write down what they wanted to let people know about them. This is what AHAC member Greg had to say:

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Austin’s Homelessness Advisory Committee (AHAC) is made up of 16 members who have previously or are currently experiencing homelessness. The goal of the group is to provide a voice for people with lived experience of homelessness so we can create better informed and more successful services. The group was created in the fall of 2017 by the City of Austin’s Office of Innovation’s Bloomberg i-team in coordination with the Department of Public Health and the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO).

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When they are seen, heard, and given the opportunities to use their strengths and skills, people with lived experience of homelessness can become advocates for their community, and the system is able to design better services

Additionally, when they are given a voice and a platform, people and communities feel less marginalized.

The Coping Skills Zine is a tool created by Austin's Homelessness Advisory Committee. 

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An A5 zine booklet, the Zine includes information on healthy coping skills for both people experiencing homelessness and the general public. . These are more positive ways of approaching difficult situations with the people you interact with on a daily basis, such as case managers, service providers, employers, and strangers. 

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Click on the cover to view the complete Coping Skills Zine. 

We have separated our ongoing projects into 3 different categories: Tools, Prototypes, and Recommendations. 

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Tools

Tools enhance service delivery by solving for a specific need. Our tools address the needs of both people experiencing homelessness and service providers.

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These tools include:

Prototypes

Prototypes are future services under construction. These are the services we are currently testing, and we co-create these projects with people who have lived experience of homelessness.

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These prototypes include: 

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Recommendations

Recommendations suggest a way to change services to fit people's realities. Successful services empower the humans at their center, accommodating for their strengths and their needs. 

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These recommendations include: