Austin Street is building a new 60,000 sq. ft. facility that includes 450 shelter beds, 30 medical respite beds, a commercial kitchen, and dedicated spaces for case management and other programming (the “Project”). The Project will replace the existing Austin Street shelter, which is located across the street from the new facility. Incorporating best practices seen in top-performing homeless shelters across the country, the Project will increase bed capacity by 50 beds and strengthen existing supportive service capacity with a focus on improving the health and wellness of the most vulnerable homeless population. Despite an aging facility and space constraints, Austin Street has managed to support substantial increases in client volume over the past five years (1,569 in 2013 to 3,008 in 2018), while significantly enriching its program to better address needs. The center’s track record remains impressive; its programs have the highest success rate for housing transition in Dallas, with the lowest rate of recidivism. However, both the current facility and its staff have reached capacity; both require expansion, as homelessness in Dallas continues to increase. (The 2019 “Point in Time” count of the homeless population revealed 4,538 total individuals experiencing homelessness in Dallas, a 9% increase over 2018.)In response, Austin Street is planning a brand-new campus that spans approximately 2.3 acres and is located across the street from the current South Dallas facility. The new 60,000 sq. ft. Austin Street Center for Community Engagement, a 24/7 client-focused facility dedicated to supporting and improving the health and wellness of Dallas’ most vulnerable homeless population.