Sunrise stories & News
For media inquiries please email the team at media@sunriseaustin.org. Thank you!
Sunrise 2024 Year In Review
As we step into 2025, we are filled with immense gratitude as we reflect on all we achieved together in 2024 at Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center.
Our 2024 Year in Review showcases the resilience of those we serve, who overcame significant barriers to rebuild their lives with Sunriseβs support.
Across all our programs and services, we served 19,848 individuals, a reflection of the dedication of our team and the unwavering generosity of our volunteers, staff, and supporters.
Your commitment makes this life-changing work possible every day β THANK YOU!
Press Release: Texas Attorney General
Austin, TX - On Tuesday, November 26, 2024, Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center was notified via the press that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit to stop Sunrise from providing humanitarian services to people experiencing homelessness at its South Austin location.
βIt is regrettable that the Attorney General Paxton took this route, especially during the week of Thanksgiving, but Sunrise intends to keep offering services to people in our community who need them,β said Mark Hilbelink, Executive Director of Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center. βWe are committed to being a good neighbor. We will continue to work, every day, to support Joslin Elementary School, our neighborhood, and our entire community.β
Press Release: Sunrise Hotline Expands
Austin, Texas β Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, the highest-volume provider of homeless services in Travis County, is expanding Austinβs first dedicated homelessness hotline call center, thanks to funding from the City of Austin. The expansion, which increases availability from 4 hours a day to 12 hours a day, will provide even greater access to critical services and coordinated housing assessments for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Sunrise 2023 Year In Review
Thanks to your support, we served over 10,000 clients in 2023, assisting more than 800 households in securing safe, affordable housing!
Sunrise has significantly expanded its ability to meet the growing needs of our community. Our impressive growth is attributed to innovative programs and a commitment to data-driven services, producing the amazing statistics we are excited to share here in our 2023 Year in Review.
Sunrise Strategic Plan FY23 - FY26
We're excited about expanding and refining our work in 2024 as we empower people experiencing homelessness.
This past fall, we initiated our inaugural 3-year Strategic Plan. This blueprint outlines our primary objectives for the upcoming months, and the prospect of witnessing our continuous growth is genuinely exciting.
As we embark on this new journey in 2024, I am grateful for the unwavering support of our community, the dedication of our team, and the resilience of those we serve.
Together, we can continue to make a meaningful impact on the lives of our unhoused friends.
Statesman: Respite from the heat
Volunteers at Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center gave bandanas soaked in ice cold water to people experiencing homelessness during the summer heat.
Texas Tribune: Austin Winter Storm Shelters
Last weekβs freeze was the first major test of the changes Austin has made to its cold weather and emergency shelter precautions since the winter storm in February 2021, and it showed that despite improvements in the cityβs coordination and planning, weaknesses persist.