Austin shelters weren’t prepared for outages despite lessons from 2021 winter storm, advocates say

Tents sit along the Interstate 35 frontage road on Feb. 16, 2021, in Austin. Activists who work with people experiencing homelessness said Austin has made improvements to its cold weather shelter plans since 2021, but shelters during February 2023’s winter storm were unprepared for outages and were difficult to reach for some. (Credit: Montinique Monroe for The Texas Tribune)

Last week’s freeze was the first major test of the changes Austin has made to its cold weather and emergency shelter precautions since the winter storm in February 2021, and it showed that despite improvements in the city’s coordination and planning, weaknesses persist.

Activists and volunteers who work with people experiencing homelessness say the city was better at communicating with them during this storm, but noted that shelters and warming centers were sometimes difficult to reach, lacked accommodations for families with children and weren’t prepared for power outages themselves.