Austin council to consider $8 million motel purchase to house homeless
The Austin City Council on Thursday will consider allocating $8 million to purchase an motel in South Austin to provide housing for people who are homeless.
The property is a Rodeway Inn at 2711 Interstate 35 South, between Oltorf Drive and Woodward Street, with 82 units.
The property is an ideal location given the proximity to areas where individuals who are experiencing homelessness live, accessible by public transportation, close to major arterials, and within reasonable distance of health care facilities, city documents say.
City leaders have made identifying permanent supportive housing options for Austins homeless the focal point of their strategy to address homelessness. Homeless Strategy Officer Lori Pampilo Harris said officials were seeking out motels that could be purchased and quickly modified into bridge housing units, and later into more long-term dwellings.
Read more: https://www.statesman.com/news/20191108/austin-council-to-consider-8-million-motel-purchase-to-house-homeless