South Austin Rodeway Inn Targeted for Homeless Shelter

The Austin City Council approved a multimillion-dollar plan to acquire and renovate an 81-room Rodeway Inn at 2711 South Interstate 35 in south Austin. The city’s plan is to spend $8 million to acquire and renovate the property as a temporary homeless shelter. Once the renovation on the 1980s hotel is complete, operations will be overseen by Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO).

ECHO’s Matt Mollica told KVUE-TV that the organization will start working with partners to figure out a referral system. “81 units is not going to solve homelessness here in Austin and Travis County,” he added. “We’re going to have to look at using this as a model, and continuing to work to acquire new properties for people to be in.”

The city manager’s and real estate offices plan to work with the hotel’s current owners, listed as Super Success Inc., to start moving residents in as soon as possible.

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