AUSTIN (KXAN) — Roughly halfway through a one-year contract, people who have stayed, or are staying, at the City of Austin’s Marshalling Yard are expressing concerns about conditions there.
Last summer, Austin City Council voted to move forward with a $9.1 million contract with Endeavors to run homeless shelter operations at the facility before the building goes back to its intended use. The money comes from the city’s allotment of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.
“It’s great that they’re providing housing, providing beds, but there are many things that are fundamentally not right,” said Barry Jones. He said he was discharged from the shelter on Thanksgiving.
City approves $9M contract to use Marshalling Yard as homeless shelter
Jones was one of the clients from the shelter who showed up to Wednesday’s public safety commission meeting to share his concerns about the facility and those who staff it.
He said he was staying at the Marshalling Yard when his mental health medication was stolen. Additionally, he said he requested replacement medication which never came.