AUSTIN — The Harvest Trauma Recovery Center, which provides free services to survivors of violent crime and their families, faces an uncertain future after the city budget approved earlier this month included no dedicated funding for the center.
The center opened in 2023 and provides violence intervention and trauma recovery services to Austin residents.
Terra Tucker, managing director of advocacy for the Alliance of Safety and Justice, helped launch the center. She said the center received city funding during its first year, county funding during its second year and federal funding during its third year as a pilot program.
“We were hoping to get some ongoing dedicated funding, but that has not been what happened,” Tucker said.
People who have used the center’s services recently described it as a trusted source of support for survivors and families.
“I can call them, I can bug them, they’re going to come through,” one client said.
Another client said, “People trust the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center.”
A report from national research group Scaling Safety found that aggravated assaults in Austin declined an average of 27% from 2021 to 2025, while homicides fell 12%.
The report also found steeper declines in neighborhoods where community violence intervention programs operate, including the area near the Harvest Trauma Recovery Center. Researchers found no evidence that violent crime shifted to other neighborhoods.
Tucker said the center could have to reduce the number of people it serves if it cannot secure additional funding.
“That’s the best case scenario,” Tucker said. “Worst case scenario is the center has to close its doors.”
The African American Youth Harvest Foundation, the center’s parent organization, remains operational. Tucker said the nonprofit will continue seeking funding sources to keep the center open and serving survivors.
