State officials agreed Thursday to lease state-owned land to an Austin nonprofit for $1 a month to house homeless Austinites, with the goal of ultimately building a shelter on the 6.7-acre tract.
The approval from the Texas Transportation Commission will allow ATX Helps, a coalition of business groups and nonprofits, to take over the site off U.S. Highway 183 near the airport, which is owned by the Texas Department of Transportation.
The site currently hosts 140 people, and ATX Helps nonprofit says it hopes to raise $5 million to build a 150-bed temporary structure as soon as possible. Ultimately, it aims to raise $14 million for a more permanent structure that could house as many as 300 people.
Those currently staying at the campsite, dubbed Camp R.A.T.T., have pushed back against the proposal, even going as far as offering their own counteroffer directly to Gov. Greg Abbott in a bid to run the campsite on their own.
Gov. Abbott directed the Texas Department of Transportation to allow people experiencing homelessness to camp on the land in November. Abbott’s offer came after months of criticism of Austin’s policies surrounding homelessness, which stemmed from an Austin City Council vote to rollback bans on camping in public.
The lease could last as long as 10 years, though the agreement contains clauses for possible extensions or an earlier termination.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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