Oct. 15, 2024

By Jeff Barker

AUSTIN — A TxDOT initiative to address homelessness on federal highways and improve the lives of those displaced by recent and upcoming construction along I-35 is drawing recognition and praise from federal and local officials.

In July, TxDOT hosted representatives of departments of transportation from around the country for the Bridging the Gap Symposium on addressing homelessness. The meeting featured transportation officials from 18 states and Washington D.C. along with representatives from the Federal Highway Administration.

“My heart is warmed by all the work that you’re doing today,” said FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt during a virtual fireside chat with TxDOT Executive Director Marc Williams at the symposium.

“There are many people who have come through the Esperanza Community, and they’re on a path to something better,” said Bhatt, referring to the recent TxDOT initiative which provides 200 individual shelter units and a variety of services to help residents transition out of homelessness and into more permanent housing.

The top FHWA official visited the East Austin site last March to witness first-hand the innovative approach TxDOT is doing to address homelessness.

Symposium attendees heard from speakers about projects like the Mobility35 Initiative to Address Homelessness which included training and certifying more than 75 TxDOT employees and contractors on mental health first aid.

The unique approach, which has included tapping mental health professionals and the inclusion of the homeless community in stakeholder discussions, is being held up nationally. It’s become a model for bridging the gap between being without shelter and getting a chance for a new beginning.

“This symposium is important because it starts a national dialogue on how DOTs can engage in addressing homelessness,” Deputy Austin District Engineer Mike Arellano said.

Arellano and TxDOT Programs Manager Lori Wagner told symposium attendees about the power of partnerships, a message echoed by Austin District Engineer Tucker Ferguson.

“We could not do the type of work we’re doing without the partnerships we have,” Ferguson said.

Attendees later witnessed those partnerships first-hand during a tour of the community operated by nonprofit The Other Ones Foundation, which will break ground later this year on a 7-acre expansion which is expected to nearly double the site’s current capacity.

"The symposium came about because we had a lot of interest in our program on how our DOT is helping to be part of the solution," Wagner said.

During the symposium, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson proclaimed July 25 to be “Mike Arellano and Lori Wagner Day” in Austin. The two were celebrated for their years of work on the Mobility35 Initiative to Address Homelessness.

The Austin District’s award-winning Initiative to Address Homelessness continues to set the blueprint for how DOTs nationwide can address homelessness with a human-centered approach. Attendees left the symposium better prepared to implement similar strategies in their own communities.

Additional reporting by Paul Stinson