(Credit: KLBJ staff)
With shelter space at a premium in Austin, the city council has continued to discuss the possibility of acquiring old motel or hotel properties and converting those spaces into housing units for the homeless.
“From a hotel perspective, what we would be able to do, and what other communites have done, is get people inside immediately. Get them assessed for need,” says Matt Mollica with the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition.
It’s an idea officials believe could give the city more breathing room when it comes to its housing needs. Mollica says the properties could double as either short-term or long-term housing, depending on each individual’s needs.
“If their desire is to stay at the hotel, if that’s a perfectly reasonable outcome for them, if they enjoy the location and enjoy the space and community provided by that, we’re able to create permanent supportive housing out of that,” Mollica says.
Council member Kathie Tovo has indicated she’s in favor of the short-term/long-term possibilities, but it’s the long-term aspect that she feels is the most vital.
“The long-term sustainability of that option,” she says. “When you are looking at hotels, you’re looking for something that could also serve as permanent supportive housing.”
The city is considering several different locations, each of which would come with a fairly high price tag. Early estimates show the price range to be between $2.5-million and $8.5-million. However, officials say the sites on their current list for consideration are not set in stone, and could change before any final decision is made.
