Do you have the tech brain and the Austin heart to hack homelessness services in our community?

The streets of Austin aren't an easy place to live. Important personal documents are often lost or stolen, and without them, people experiencing homelessness have difficulty accessing services like healthcare, employment, and housing. The Mayor’s Challenge, in collaboration with Dell Medical School and the City of Austin Innovation Office, is working to erase barriers to services by using blockchain technology to permanently store and maintain important documents and transactions that make up an identity.

Through the Mayor's Blockchain Challenge, you'll investigate ways to secure a basic need: a trusted digital identity.

**UPDATE* The Mayor's Blockchain Challenge was a success! Thank you to the amazing group of community members, developers, designers, service providers, City staff, experts, and Mayor Adler for co-creating a set of solutions that will significatly improve the lives of those experiencing homelessness in Austin. We are energized by your compassion and talent, and can't wait to work with you more to advance these and similar solutions. Congratulations to the Compass, DigitalTown, Transmute, and Samiam teams for taking home awards!

We're just getting strated. Thank you for being part of a community that's making Austin better for all. We'll be in touch soon with next steps!

Challenge Timeline

July 13 - July 25: We'll send you use case scenarios to guide your development.

July 27: Soft opening. Meet up, bring your questions, learn more about homelessness and blockchain, and do some work at the Faulk Library.

July 28: Hackathon! Gather your team to test and refine your solution with real data, clients, and providers at the Faulk Library. Food, drinks, whiteboards, and high-fives all included.

July 29: Demo, judging, and awards!

Your solution should be able to handle:

• Bulk document uploads

• Notation of assets that are verified in real life

• Smart contracts

• Opt-in/consent process

• Private blockchain

• Non-transferable assets

Rules for participation:

• Join this event to indicate your interest and to receive email updates with increasingly complex use case scenarios to solve. By July 28, you should have a developed solution for all scenarios to test and present. The hackathon starting on July 27th will give you time and space to meet with your team, build on site, and test your solution with real users.

• While you can enter as an individual, we highly encourage teams that include at least a blockchain developer and a front end developer.

• Your team can consist of people located remotely, but each team must have at least one member who can attend and present in person at the hackathon during the last weekend of July.

• Ideas and solutions presented must be developed for this challenge by the participants representing them.

How do I participate as a community member?

Are you a services provider or person with lived homelessness experience? We'd love for you to participate as a consultant or subject matter expert. Please contact daniel.culotta@austintexas.gov with your interest.

Keep a look out for updates about use case scenarios, judges, and prizes.