Special Update from Mark 2024

I’m so excited to share some significant updates on our service expansions, which were made possible through your unwavering support and recent investments from partners like the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Office. These developments mark a major step forward in our mission to offer pathways to housing for people experiencing homelessness through low-barrier access to wraparound services by providing innovative, trauma-informed, and person-centered programming that engages our communities and leads system-wide transformation.

Thanks to private donor investment, the Sunrise Wayfinder rehousing services have become a cornerstone of our services. This diversion and rapid exit program is designed to provide early intervention for individuals and families to exit homelessness through one-time financial assistance and the results have rocked the homeless services world, outpacing all of the existing housing solutions. And now we are thankful that the City of Austin has come alongside us in this effort empower folks to rehouse themselves, if they are able.

We are also thrilled to announce the expansion of our digital services. The Sunrise Hotline, previously available for just 4 hours a day, will now operate 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday. This crucial extension allows us to connect more clients with the services they need when they need them. It will also include video sound-proof pods around town where people experiencing homelessness can sit down and talk face-to-face with a case manager digitally.

As part of our commitment to broaden our reach, we’ve now officially begun the search for a new day center location outside of South Austin. This expansion will enable us to extend our vital services to more areas of the city, offering resources and support to even more people in need.

The Sunrise Mobile outreach teams have expanded their partnerships, now working with TxDOT during the I-35 expansion project, all the way from Williamson to Travis to Hays County. Together, we’re offering outreach services to people experiencing homelessness in the area, providing essential communication about construction impacts and offering relocation assistance to those affected, working towards solutions that work for everyone.

These exciting expansions are a direct result of your continued advocacy and dedication. We’re honored to partner with you and our incredible volunteers and staff in this work and look forward to all we’ll achieve together in the year ahead.