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South Austin Housing Navigation Center

South Austin Housing Navigation Center

Project Background
On Sept. 3, the City announced a potential site for the center at 2401 South Interstate Highway 35 Frontage Road, 78741, and Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) launched a public engagement process to gather input from residents and stakeholders. The Austin City Council then voted on Oct. 9 to authorize the purchase of the property, solidifying the next steps toward development.

 

March 19, 2026

Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) has formally announced the roster of the Center Advisory Board, and sincerely thanks all applicants who expressed interest in this important role. 

 

June 18, 2026

The City of Austin announced the tentative awardee for operation of the South Austin Housing Navigation Center.

What is a Housing Navigation Center?

Housing navigation seeks to identify opportunities to sustain or obtain safe and stable housing.

Households that are experiencing housing instability can utilize navigation centers as a hub to address root factors of stability and to prevent homelessness. Housing navigators help households problem solve before crisis happens.

For individuals that are already experiencing homelessness, the navigation center can help meet their basic needs and take steps towards safety and housing.

 

Why is the City of Austin Investing in Housing Navigation Centers?

Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) is committed to investing across the spectrum of our local homelessness response system to reduce the incidence of new homelessness and to reduce the number of people who are living unhoused in our community. Navigation is an essential piece of the City of Austin's effort to work upstream of homelessness by connecting at-risk households to focused and cost-effective prevention services. When homelessness can't be averted, unhoused residents need reliable access to well managed, safe, and professional support. 

Our Neighborhood Commitment

Elevating neighborhood climate is essential to the success of the many Austinites who reside at the Southbridge shelter, located just a few doors down from the future housing navigation center. In collaboration with many partners, Austin HSO tracks and works neighborhood concerns to resolution. View the map below to see where we're making progress in the East Oltorf neighborhood.

Click on a map icon above to see more details about the status of each logged concern.

Map Key

Resolved encampmentResolved encampmentResolved public safety concernResolved public safety concern
Resolved litter abatementResolved litterCompleted location monitoring, no issues foundCompleted location monitoring, no concerns identified
Pending encampment resolutionPending encampment resolutionHousing and homeless services facilities proposed and actualExisting and future housing and homeless services facilities
Active encampmentActive encampmentActive public safety concernActive, unresolved public safety concern

 

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Austin City Council Budget Priority

August 2024

The Austin City Council established a budget priority for the expansion of housing navigation services to two new locations.

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Property Search

August 29, 2025

Following an extensive search, a candidate property met the due dilligence threshold.

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Public Announcement

September 3, 2025

Immediately following completion of due dilligence, Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations (HSO) issued a press release announcing intent to acquire the property and commence neighborhood engagement.

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Focused Sheltering & Enforcement

December 2024 - Present

HSO and social service partners have been conducting compassionate encampment resolutions and shelter-focused outreach along the East Oltorf corridor since December 2024. This sustained effort is intended to reduce unsheltered homelessness in a neighborhood that has dense low income multi-family housing.

Enhanced law enforcement presence has been visible in the area for several months.

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Early Stakeholder Engagement

September 3 - October 8

Following publication of a press release on September 3, in which HSO announced the proposed purchase, Austin HSO met with the East Riverside/Oltorf Combined Contact Team (EROC) to discuss a variety of updates related to homeless encampment management, environmental health, public safety, and to announce plans to acquire property located at 2401 S. Interstate 35 Frontage Road, 78741.

Early project engagement transpired for over one month before the Austin City Council vote, and included multiple formats to inform and gather public input:

  • Publication of a press release on September 3 announcing the project's engagement kickoff.
  • Two public webinars with live question and answer segments, marketed with print and digital flyers.
  • Two in-person meetings with neighborhood organizations.
  • Two virtual meetings with neighborhood organizations.
  • One tour of Austin Community Court's case management and navigation operations.
  • Numerous one-on-one conversations with area stakeholders.
  • The launch of this Speak Up Austin project page, and additional digital communications to all project participants.
  • Introduction of the neighborhood concern tracker, followed by coordinated issue resolutions.

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Questions & Answers Published

September 22, 2025

A compilation of stakeholder questions and corresponding City staff responses are published to the Speak Up Austin project page. Although public comment is now closed for this project, questions may still be submitted from the Questions and Answers tab.

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Austin City Council Consideration

October 9

The Austin City Council voted on agenda Item 17, approving negotiation and execution of all instruments necessary to acquire the property located at 2401 South Interstate Highway 35 Service Road 78741. 

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Ongoing Stakeholder Engagement

After October 9 Council Vote

Stakeholder engagement will continue as the project progresses. Our next step is to ass

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Draft Charter Public Comment Opened

November 4

Austin HSO opened public comment on a draft charter for the South Austin Housing Navigation Center's Community Advisory Board on November 4. Comments will be collected until November 18. Link to official Memorandum.

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Draft Charter Public Comment Closed

November 18

Austin HSO closed public comment on the draft charter for the Community Advisory Board. Public feedback will now be analyzed, opportunities for revision of the charter will be identified, and final edits will be made before the charter is published.

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Community Advisory Board Application Process

  • December 10 at 12:00 pm - Application opens
  • January 21, 2026 at 12:00 pm - Application closes
  • January 23, 2026 - Complete preliminary screening of applications
  • February - March, 2026 - Conclude evaluation, extend offers
  • March 19, 2026 - Announce advisory board roster.

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Renovation & Property Enhancements

Renovations and site enhancements will be conducted to prepare the building for use as a housing navigation center. City staff will incorporate neighborhood feedback into design, amenities, and security features.

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Competitive Solicitation

June 18

The City of Austin’s Homeless Strategies & Operations (HSO) identified a tentative awardee to operate the South Austin Housing Navigation Center (SAHNC). 
 
The tentative awardee was selected following a competitive solicitation and represents a significant milestone in the City's efforts to expand access to housing-focused services and strengthen Austin's homelessness response system. 
 
Following evaluation of submitted proposals, the evaluation panel assessed each applicant’s qualifications, organizational capacity, demonstrated experience delivering housing-focused services, and the ability to operate the South Austin Housing Navigation Center in alignment with City objectives.  City staff’s recommendation of the tentative awardee, Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, reflects the City’s intent for the facility to serve as a key entry point into Austin's homelessness prevention and response system by helping households remain stably housed and assisting individuals in moving more quickly from homelessness to housing. 

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Opening Summer 2027

Homeless Strategies & Operations expects the first City-owned housing navigation center will open in summer 2027.