On any given night there are more than 2,300 Austinites living on the streets of Austin, in shelters or in other places not meant for human habitation, like cars. Over 900 of those who are homeless would be considered chronically homeless; people who have been homeless for over one year, or four times in the past 3 years. Austin’s Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) shows evidence of over 5,800 persons accessing homeless services annually; most observers consider the HMIS total to be substantially lower than the number of people actually experiencing homelessness over the course of a year. Furthermore, according to a study by Boston’s Healthcare for the Homeless organization, led by Dr. Jim O’Connell, it is estimated that 40-50% of a city’s chronically homeless population (in Austin that would be 360-450 people) are at high risk of imminent mortality. Permanent Supportive Housing is an evidence-based strategy aimed at eliminating this reality for the most vulnerable members of our community.