Austin council to consider further extension of temporary homeless shelter

As the city of Austin struggles to find a permanent location for an additional homeless shelter, Mayor Kirk Watson has introduced a resolution to extend the use of a temporary shelter set up in the southeast part of the city last year.

Last August, the city of Austin turned the Austin Convention Center Marshalling Yard into a temporary homeless shelter, bringing about 300 additional beds to the southeast part of the city.

"We have not been able to identify a permanent location for an emergency shelter operation, so that is still an unmet need." Councilmember Vanessa Fuentes said.

The one-year contract cost the city more than $9 million, and Fuentes said an eight-month extension cost an additional $500,000.

Thursday, the city council will be considering a resolution to give it yet another extension beyond its March 2025 closure, this time until an alternative solution is found.

"We certainly need more overnight shelter capacity throughout our city," Fuentes said. "My concerns initially were where are we going to find, potentially, up to $9 million to continue operating the Marshalling Yard?"

Mayor Kirk Watson put the resolution forward, taking to the social media platform X to say in part...

"The Marshalling Yard is an essential piece of our homeless response system and must remain open until an alternative shelter exists. Even with places like the Marshalling Yard, we're at least 600 shelter beds behind."

Fuentes agrees that the beds are essential, but also worries how those resources would be devoted on an indefinite basis.

"And that, to me, includes investments in rapid rehousing, in permanent, supportive housing that provides the necessary services and treatment to mental health support."

, Watson says it will be up to the city manager to responsibly find the funds, but says intake shouldn't stop just because that call can't be made right away. He said in part...

"We're doing virtually zero intake right now because of the anticipated closing, which creates enormous problems for the whole homeless services system. We simply can't start going backward."

Fuentes says these discussions are the responsibility of policymakers, which should continue even beyond Thursday's vote.

"This week is not the end of it, it's just the beginning of how we approach and address homelessness through our emergency shelter operations," Fuentes said.

The Homeless Strategy Office has declined to comment until after Thursday's vote.