City Ends Contract with Operator of Austin's Downtown Homeless Shelter
The City of Austin is cutting ties with Front Steps, the nonprofit that has run the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless since 2004 and has provided other homelessness services since 1997.
Multiple sources have confirmed to the Chronicle that the city is begun to identify other groups to take over contracts currently held by Front Steps, which also operates one of the city's two new bridge shelters, due to chronic underperformance by the organization.
“Over the past several months, City staff have been in conversation with the board of directors of … Front Steps regarding organizational challenges faced by the nonprofit, and enlisted a third-party consultant to help guide the development of an action plan,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. “After much discussion, the Board has identified a need for an intensive strategy and reimagining of the organization to better prepare its staff and leaders to provide homelessness services in the wake of the pandemic.” All Front Steps contracts will be discontinued no later than September 30, 2022, according to the statement.
“The City has been looking for other providers who can take on the Front Steps work,” Council Member Ann Kitchen told us July 14. “The city has recognized that there are serious concerns related to Front Steps being able to perform up to our standards, and the city has been proactive in recognizing the issue and is taking steps to deal with it.”
Read more: https://www.austinchronicle.com/daily/news/2022-07-15/city-ends-contract-with-operator-of-austins-downtown-homeless-shelter/