AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin City Council members on Wednesday voted to approve the purchase of one hotel to provide permanent supportive housing for those experiencing homelessness, while delaying a vote on purchasing a second property for one week.
Council members voted to approve the purchase of the Texas Bungalows Hotel & Suites at 13311 Burnet Road, which staff say will provide 60 units of housing as early as later this year. It's the third hotel the city has purchased in its strategy to take hotels and convert them to permanent supportive housing.
A city estimate puts the purchase cost of the property at $6.7 million.
The council chose to delay for one week the purchase of an additional property located at 10811 Pecan Park Boulevard, on a request from District 6 council member Mackenzie Kelly. That property is estimated to cost $9.5 million, and staff says it will bring an additional 80 units of housing into the city system.
While the council delayed a vote on the purchase of the hotel, council members voted to approve a temporary occupancy agreement on the Pecan Park property to serve as part of the city's network of protective COVID-19 lodges, or ProLodges. Members also voted to extend current agreements with three other properties currently serving as ProLodges across the city, for a total cost of roughly $2 million.
