Government
Austin, Travis County homeless services grow The Austin and Travis County homelessness response system is growing more efficient and seeing fewer people needing services than in the past few years, according to new reporting from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition, or ECHO. ECHO, which coordinates the regional response to homelessness between local governments and other organizations, released its 2025 State of the System report in early October. The analysis covers data from 2019-24, and points to a growing system that is more effectively matching clients to the services and housing they need. “We’re not where we want to be yet, although we are celebrating progress today. But the clear evidence is that what we’re doing and the invest- ments we’re making are having a positive impact,” Mayor Kirk Watson said at the report’s presenta- tion Oct. 8.
New rules in effect for short-term rentals New rules for short-term rentals, or STRs, approved in September by Austin City Council capped off a regulatory overhaul intended to curb the spread of unlicensed rental operations and nuisances in Austin. What happened For years, Austin hasn’t been able to keep up with the spread of rental units that aren’t registered with the city—or paying hotel occupancy taxes, supporting cultural initiatives. After multiple attempts to tackle the issue, a new look at regulations advanced through 2025. New policies are aimed at making it easier to strike unlicensed STR listings from plat- forms like Airbnb and Vrbo, and ensuring full tax collections.
Austin/Travis County homelessness response system
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SOURCE: ENDING COMMUNITY HOMELESSNESS COALITION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
The big picture Austin and Travis County’s homeless population both outside and in shelter reached nearly 5,000 as of this summer, based on ECHO estimates of the number of people who engaged with the response system in the first half of 2025. That figure is different from the estimated 3,238 people accounted for in the most recent regional Point in Time Count, a federally-required in-person tally on a single night that ECHO officials note is likely an undercount.
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