Austin’s Business community answer to the homeless crisis, ATX Helps is getting some much needed support from Governor Greg Abbott. The Governor is offering to lease the group 5 acres of land off 183 and Montopolis for Shelter space. The Downtown Austin Alliance’s Dewitt Peart said this is an important ingredient to their shelter solution.
“The Governor’s desire is to lease us the property for $1 a year. which certainly helps on the financial side of producing a shelter.”
As for what the site could do, Peart explained, is allow ATX Helps set up a temporary 150 beds with a so called Sprung Shelter. These shelters are large rubber tents that are AC cooled and look alot like an airplane hanger.
ATX Helps could start the leasing process, later next week (Week of Febuary 24th), and if they are successful, Peart added, this would also help them raise the needed money to buy the shelter and run the facility for two years. ATX Helps is fundraising $5-million. Thus far they have raised more than $1-million.
(Photo:Shutterstock/ stock_photo_world)
