Austin is no longer pursuing a 100-bed shelter in South Austin and could opt instead to provide housing in motels for homeless Austinites.
The move comes after a suggestion from the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), the nonprofit that coordinates Austin and Travis County’s efforts to address homelessness. Council members will vote on the proposal at their meeting Thursday.
The city announced late last week that it might buy a motel near Oltorf Street and I-35 for $8 million to provide low-barrier housing for roughly 80 people, meaning they could, after a referral, stay in a unit for at least 90 days without undergoing any mandatory case management or treatment requirements.
ECHO says it’s prepared to raise money to operate the units while the city finalizes the purchase. It would then take over operations and coordinate on-site services for clients going forward.