Austin seeking outside management options for Northbridge and Southbridge homeless shelters

A resident arrives at the city-run Northbridge homeless shelter in North Austin las month.  The city is now looking for new management for both of its bridge shelters.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman

Austin American-Statesman
Ella McCarthy, Austin American-Statesman
October 18, 2023

The city of Austin is seeking new management to run two of its emergency homeless shelters — including its Northbridge shelter, which was recently the subject of a whistleblower's complaint regarding its living conditions.

Northbridge is currently operated by the city, and its sister shelter, Southbridge, is run by the nonprofit Austin Area Urban League, whose contract expires Dec. 31. The city released a request for proposals seeking social service providers to handle the day-to-day operations at both shelters as soon as spring of 2024.

Combined, the bridge shelters have 270 beds.

Complaint regarding living conditions at Northbridge shelter

The move to bring in an outside operator to Northbridge comes after a whistleblower's complaints were raised in late August regarding conditions at the North Austin shelter — including allegations of prostitution, drug use and assault.

The city's former homeless strategy officer, Dianna Grey, resigned the same day that an email detailing the concerns about the shelter was sent to interim City Manager Jesús Garza.

Grey said the city brought in its internal auditor and invited the Austin Police Department to look into the claims that were made. Grey has said her resignation had nothing to do with the allegations about Northbridge and that Garza had asked her to stay in the post.

Austin Public Health declined to comment on why it was attempting to switch to an outside provider, and if it has anything to do with the investigation at Northbridge.

Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hayden-Howard told the American-Statesman in a statement: "The City’s intent has always been to have a third-party (non-profit) manager/operator for Northbridge. When we started the management/operation of the shelter, it was done out of necessity to get the doors open, given the community need. We now have an opportunity to transition the shelter, as intended to a non-profit operator, which is what we are doing."

Southbridge management changes

The Southbridge shelter has been operated by the Austin Area Urban League since 2022 when the city abruptly ended all partnerships with the nonprofit Front Steps after more than a decade of working together and millions of dollars' worth of contracts paid by the city.

The Austin Area Urban League was approved by the City Council in 2022 to manage the facility and was awarded a contract of more than $4 million. That contract is set to expire Dec. 31.

The Austin Area Urban League did not immediately discuss its plans for the shelter or if it would submit a bid to retain management of the facility.


The city bought the Northbridge building at Interstate 35 near East St. Johns Avenue as a bridge shelter for homeless people in 2022.
Jay Janner/American-Statesman

Next steps for the city

Before a new management group assumes operations of either shelter, the City Council will have to approve the contract and partnership.

Funding available for the Northbridge shelter is just under $3.5 million and for Southbridge just over $4 million, according to the request for proposals.

"APH anticipates awarding 1 agreement for each shelter, beginning approximately March 1, 2024," the scope of work document on the request says. "Proposals must be submitted using the 12-month budget allocation."