Follow-up re: No Wrong Door Work Session
Posted: Tue Oct 06, 2026 5:53 pm
Council Members –
Today, City Council received a briefing on staff’s No Wrong Door program. I was disappointed to miss the discussion, as the goals of No Wrong Door are close to my heart, and I know it is for many of you, too.
No Wrong Door was born out of a simple idea – why can’t we all get in the same room and focus on lasting care for the hardest to reach? We have heard story after story both personally and in our roles as Mayor and Council Members of those barely surviving in our community, living on the street and often suffering from multiple issues, from mental illness to substance abuse, repeated victimization, and more. If you’re a woman living on the streets of Austin, the chances of becoming a victim of a crime go up by a factor of 20.
As I wrote last month following Central Health’s historic vote to fund mental and behavioral health, our understanding and approach to mental health has evolved over the past few decades. For too long, gaps in our health system have meant that people with the most complex needs cycle between the street, emergency departments, jail, and other public systems without ever receiving the sustained care necessary to stabilize. I believe we all recognize that we each have a role in doing better.
When I see the work of the No Wrong Door team and partners, I’m encouraged and energized about the possibilities ahead. I applaud their willingness to go into hard spaces and have tough conversations. Through those efforts, we’ll continue to learn how to do things differently, smarter, and better. This means hearing from practitioners in this work who share our mission to reduce the infinite cycle of despair in our community.
It’s my hope that the City Manager and staff will incorporate the points and requests made by council members at the briefing, such as ensuring personal information is kept private and civil liberties are protected, as well as gathering robust data on outcomes to continuously improve the program. The City Manager should also provide regular briefings to the Council on the program’s progress and outcomes, related legislative efforts, and to continue to gather feedback. If you watched last week’s Texas House Select Committee on Government Oversight, you know ours is a community that is highly watched and often discussed, especially as it involves our work around housing and homelessness. Those conversations with lawmakers and stakeholders, correcting narratives and building trust, will be important to mitigating any barriers to the work of No Wrong Door and other critical city programs.
Finally, I want to recognize our City staff and partners involved in not only delivering today’s City Council briefing, but also in their work building what seemed impossible only months ago. Travis County Judge Andy Brown, Integral Care CEO Jeff Richardson, Central Health CEO Dr. Patrick Lee, their teams, as well as our own City staff deserve thanks for their willingness to work together and contribute a great deal. I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to convene meetings with them, work with them, and learn from them. I want to thank the Manager for committing resources and empowering staff to use their knowledge and experience, innovate, and better serve the needs of Austin. I appreciate our staff’s strong efforts and expertise.
I know we all care about our most vulnerable population. We want to support them, and we want to do it in the right and best way that reflects who we are as a community. I look forward to the work ahead with you and alongside our staff and partners.
Thank you all.
Kirk
On Behalf of Mayor Watson
Today, City Council received a briefing on staff’s No Wrong Door program. I was disappointed to miss the discussion, as the goals of No Wrong Door are close to my heart, and I know it is for many of you, too.
No Wrong Door was born out of a simple idea – why can’t we all get in the same room and focus on lasting care for the hardest to reach? We have heard story after story both personally and in our roles as Mayor and Council Members of those barely surviving in our community, living on the street and often suffering from multiple issues, from mental illness to substance abuse, repeated victimization, and more. If you’re a woman living on the streets of Austin, the chances of becoming a victim of a crime go up by a factor of 20.
As I wrote last month following Central Health’s historic vote to fund mental and behavioral health, our understanding and approach to mental health has evolved over the past few decades. For too long, gaps in our health system have meant that people with the most complex needs cycle between the street, emergency departments, jail, and other public systems without ever receiving the sustained care necessary to stabilize. I believe we all recognize that we each have a role in doing better.
When I see the work of the No Wrong Door team and partners, I’m encouraged and energized about the possibilities ahead. I applaud their willingness to go into hard spaces and have tough conversations. Through those efforts, we’ll continue to learn how to do things differently, smarter, and better. This means hearing from practitioners in this work who share our mission to reduce the infinite cycle of despair in our community.
It’s my hope that the City Manager and staff will incorporate the points and requests made by council members at the briefing, such as ensuring personal information is kept private and civil liberties are protected, as well as gathering robust data on outcomes to continuously improve the program. The City Manager should also provide regular briefings to the Council on the program’s progress and outcomes, related legislative efforts, and to continue to gather feedback. If you watched last week’s Texas House Select Committee on Government Oversight, you know ours is a community that is highly watched and often discussed, especially as it involves our work around housing and homelessness. Those conversations with lawmakers and stakeholders, correcting narratives and building trust, will be important to mitigating any barriers to the work of No Wrong Door and other critical city programs.
Finally, I want to recognize our City staff and partners involved in not only delivering today’s City Council briefing, but also in their work building what seemed impossible only months ago. Travis County Judge Andy Brown, Integral Care CEO Jeff Richardson, Central Health CEO Dr. Patrick Lee, their teams, as well as our own City staff deserve thanks for their willingness to work together and contribute a great deal. I’ve enjoyed having the opportunity to convene meetings with them, work with them, and learn from them. I want to thank the Manager for committing resources and empowering staff to use their knowledge and experience, innovate, and better serve the needs of Austin. I appreciate our staff’s strong efforts and expertise.
I know we all care about our most vulnerable population. We want to support them, and we want to do it in the right and best way that reflects who we are as a community. I look forward to the work ahead with you and alongside our staff and partners.
Thank you all.
Kirk
On Behalf of Mayor Watson