The nonprofit Urban Alchemy, which runs the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless (ARCH) and the Eighth Street Shelter, is transforming the downtown parking lot into a place where people can have water, coffee and food, or simply get away from the heat.
A downtown Austin parking lot turns into a homeless resource center for the summer, thanks to the city of Austin’s partnership with nonprofit Urban Alchemy. “I’m very grateful for it,” said guest Kimberly Parsons.
As Toshio Takanobu walks us through Clinton Triangle in Southeast Portland, we quickly learn he’s a popular guy. Guest Susan Davis hugs Toshio and says, “he smiles when he greets you and it’s just warming for the heart. If you need help with anything, he immediately is right on that.
As the U.S. Supreme Court considers a case that could change city homelessness policy nationwide, we zoom in on the Clinton Triangle shelter in Portland, and look at how it’s been working for residents trying to leave homelessness behind.
That’s something groups like Urban Alchemy, which runs the ARCH shelter downtown, says is a tool they’re using regardless. They’ve deployed a three-part strategy, which they say they’ve seen a lot of success with in their California locations.
Since Wilks moved into the large sleeping pod site about 10 months ago, she has been hospitalized twice but has “never felt so loved,” she said. “Urban Alchemy staff came and got me from the hospital and they made me feel cared about and like it is worth living,” Wilks said.
The $3 million pilot project, run by Urban Alchemy, is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to free up officers to respond to violent crime or more serious property crime. Like Urban Alchemy’s street ambassadors who patrol sidewalks throughout downtown, the HEART team consists primarily of staff members who were formerly incarcerated or have experience with homelessness or drug use.
The city’s Homeless Engagement Assistance Response Team (HEART) program reached a milestone as the program marks its first year helping San Francisco’s street population. Mayor London Breed launched HEART last year to respond to 911 and 311 calls regarding unhoused people, and to help keep city streets “safe and clean,” the mayor’s office said.
HEART’s four teams of practitioners and supervisors operate citywide, assisting nearly 300 people every week. In its inaugural year, the program has helped thousands with connections to shelter, public benefits, and medical and behavioral health resources. HEART responded to over 80% of calls to 311 or 911 involving unhoused individuals, including calls about blocked sidewalks.
”I’ve got a place to live and I’m thankful for Urban Alchemy for all the things they’ve done for everybody, for me, my friends Patrick and James. They said they would get us into a place, and they did,” said King.
Lee said that in addition to providing food, water and Narcan and assisting EMS, Urban Alchemy staffers created flyers and distributed them in the area to educate people on the dangers of fentanyl and on how to use Narcan.
El programa CIRCLE fue creado por la organización no lucrativa Urban Alchemy, y trabaja en colaboración con el Departamento de Policía de Los Ángeles (LAPD) y la alcaldesa Karen Bass para abordar los incidentes no violentos y apoyar a las personas que viven una crisis. (The CIRCLE program was created by the nonprofit Urban Alchemy, and works collaboratively with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and Mayor Karen Bass to address nonviolent incidents and support people in crisis.)
