Austin, TX
Austin company using AI to track homeless encampments in city
Austin company using AI to track encampments
Austin company Nomadik is tracking homeless encampments in the city with the help of artificial intelligence.
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin company is using artificial intelligence to track homeless camps in the city.
“It gets around the need for human analysts to sift through the data that allows for human error,” Nomadik AI owner Morgan Winters said.
AI is currently being used for manufacturing, education, and transportation. The owners of the Austin company said, why not use it for a local issue, like homelessness?
“There’s only two of us, and it would be very hard to do this with two people,” Nomadik AI owner Trevor Sorrells said.
Homeless crisis in Austin continues
The number of permanent supportive housing units in Austin is projected to increase by over 600% by 2026, according to city data shared at Tuesday’s city council work session.
With the help of AI, they’re tracking homeless encampments in Austin.
“A lot of these nonprofits in the city and stuff like that don’t have really accurate data to both try to solve the problem and then try to accurately manage how well they’re solving the problem,” Sorrells said.
Winters and Sorrells have created the Nomadik app where people like Jamie Hammonds, the owner of DASH, can provide information.
“I will go to each camp, I will photograph it, do a quick little inventory and hit submit,” Hammonds said.
Then AI does the rest of the work.
“We’re taking in all of the inputs and then using our ML models in the background to parse through all of that,” Sorrells said.
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He said it builds a picture of the current state of that homeless encampment and how many people are there.
“There’s going to be a more accurate count than what they’re actually putting out,” Hammonds said.
The Austin Homeless Strategy Office said ECHO estimated in October about 6,600 homeless people in the city. Winters and Sorrells said they hope to help the homeless through the app.
“We want to partner with some nonprofits so that people can actually just request resources or check in so that there’s a layer of safety that the app includes where it’s like, I’m here, I want you to know I’m here so that people can come and reach out to me, because right now, unless you see it as you’re driving around, there’s not really a whole lot, there’s no window into actually what’s going on in these camps,” Sorrells said.
“I think it’s going to change the way homelessness is approached in the future,” Hammonds said.
The creators said the app is set to be released in March.
There was a significant reduction in the number of antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island in 2025, according to a national Jewish advocacy group.
According to the Anti-Defamation League’s latest Audit of Antisemitic Incidents, there were 26 antisemitic incidents in the state last year. That’s down from the 52 incidents counted by the group in 2024.
Samantha Joseph, New England regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, says a big reason for the reduction is a steep decline in antisemitism on college campuses.
“It shows that campus administrators are taking their responsibilities very seriously to provide a safe environment for all of their students,” said Joseph.
Brown University had over $500 million in federal funding frozen by the Trump administration last year following investigations into alleged antisemitism on campus. The funding was restored after Brown reached a settlement with the administration.
The reduction in antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island reflects a wider trend in New England as a whole. According to the ADL’s report, there were 400 antisemitic incidents in the region in 2025, compared to 638 the previous year.
While she’s pleased about the overall drop in antisemitic incidents in Rhode Island, Joseph says a number of concerning trends continue to persist. In particular, the state is still seeing more anti-Jewish incidents than it did prior to the October 7 attacks on Israel that launched the Gaza War in 2023.
Joseph is also concerned about the violent nature of local incidents of antisemitism.
“Even though overall incidents are down, assaults are up and assaults with a deadly weapon are up significantly,” said Joseph. “Our communities remain concerned for their safety, and our work is far from done.”
AUSTIN (KXAN) — Severe thunderstorms are possible Sunday evening as a cold front arrives in Central Texas. KXAN’s First Warning Weather Team will keep you updated on the weather coverage.
Risks to be aware of are damaging wind gusts that could reach as high as 60 to 75 mph and large hail up to quarter size.
Weather Resources:
Live Updates:
5:22 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is issued for all counties except for Milam County.
3:51 p.m.: A Severe Thunderstorm Watch has been issued for Mason, San Saba, and Lampasas County until 9:00 p.m.
3:30 p.m.: The primary risk for Sunday’s severe weather is damaging wind gusts which could cause power outages.
3:26 p.m.: Storms will likely move toward the I-35 corridor around 6 p.m. Most of the storms will enter the Hill Country around 6 p.m. and the Austin metro counties after 8 p.m.
Video of new Texas Tech System chancellor home at historic Lubbock property
The Texas Tech System is acquiring the historic Tudor Revival ‘English Home’ in Lubbock to serve as the new chancellor’s residence.
Money and rankings don’t make a great university. Providing opportunities for disadvantaged students and protecting academic freedom, however, do.
Case in point: Michael and Susan Dell recently surpassed $1 billion in giving to the University of Texas at Austin, launching a plan to build a new medical center and advanced research campus in north Austin.
To be sure, this is a magnanimous gift that will fund important initiatives. While enormously grateful for this contribution, I am disappointed that this gift was not accompanied with a strong message from Michael Dell admonishing the University for gutting DEI and infringing upon academic freedom.
As a colleague of mine astutely observed: “Good luck recruiting doctors and med students. The attacks on DEI and political climates will mean a lot more than rankings and money long-term.”
UT System Board of Regents Chairman Kevin Eltife, referencing the Dell gift, is right: “We are transforming this site into a new campus the world has never seen before.” Yes, never seen, but in a very negative and dangerous way!
Last week, I received a message from the Texas Exes: “This is your last chance to show your support during 40 Hours for the Forty Acres, UT Austin’s Texas-sized fundraising event. Can we count on you?”
My answer: “No, absolutely not. I won’t give one dime to a university that no longer is committed to diversity and preserving academic freedom.”
Having proudly taught at UT for 41 years, I am sad to say this.
– Richard Cherwitz, Ph.D. is the Ernest A. Sharpe Centennial Professor Emeritus, Moody College of Communication and Founding Director, Intellectual Entrepreneurship Consortium (IE) at The University of Texas at Austin.
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