Barry Jones was homeless for 10 years. During that time, he visited the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center on Menchaca Road almost daily, waiting hours in line to get food, apply for housing and receive medical attention.
“I would not have had access to these things without the navigation center,” Jones said. “There are not a lot of places you can go that are a one-stop shop for services, and those are so badly needed because of transportation barriers in the community.”
Jones is one of several advocates who spoke to the Austin City Council on Thursday in support of a new housing navigation center.
“It’s important to have multiple services at one spot,” Jones said. “Going to the center helped me meet needs at a time when I was unable to do that for myself. It also helped me feel less alone.”
The Austin City Council approved buying a new property in South Austin on Thursday that will serve as a new city-owned homeless services center. It will cost the city more than $4.3 million.
The facility is intended to connect people with housing programs, health and education services, as well as supplies like sunscreen and blankets.
But the decision did not come without pushback from people who will live in the area. South Austin resident Malcolm Yeatts cited concerns about the safety of children at nearby schools and parks.
“The city has not yet convinced the residents of the East Riverside area that the city will do a better job of maintaining public order in the neighborhood surrounding this location than they have in the neighborhood surrounding the current Sunrise location," Yeatts said.
Several residents expressed concerns, including the possibility of crime and drug use after years of similar issues surrounding the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center.
Sunrise operates out of a church across the street from Joslin Elementary School. Neighbors say they've witnessed drug use and property crime nearby. The center is also facing a lawsuit from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
At Thursday's meeting, Council Member José Velásquez, whose district includes the site of the new homeless services center, voted against the purchase.
“I am voting no, not because I oppose the mission, not because I oppose the resources, and not because I am turning my back on my unhoused neighbors,” Velásquez said. “I am voting no to the process and the pace. But I will be the first one to roll up my sleeves to ensure the entire community – both housed and unhoused – are at the table shaping this process.”
Council Members Zo Qadri and Marc Duchen also opposed the site purchase.
David Gray, director of the city’s Homeless Strategy Office, said the city-run center will be subject to stricter rules and tighter security measures than the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center.
The city will begin working to retrofit the building and select a vendor to run the center. It is slated to open in the spring.
