AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Salvation Army is expected to open a 212-bed shelter for families in Austin on Wednesday, Feb. 26. Families will start moving in that day.
“We are beyond excited to open our doors and start providing wrap-around services for families experiencing homelessness,” said Major Lewis Reckline, Austin Area Commander for The Salvation Army. “The Rathgeber Center for Families will provide all of the necessary tools and resources to help families get back into self-sufficiency and break the cycle of homelessness in each household.”
The $12-million project funded with private dollars is located at 4613 Tannehill Lane in east Austin near the intersection of East Martin Luther King Jr. and Ed Bluestein Boulevard.
A release from the organization’s spokesperson said it’s opening comes in response to the growing population of families experiencing homelessness in Austin. It said the Salvation Army’s main focus for services is providing basic needs to make sure homelessness is brief, rare and non-recurring.