Dozens of Salvation Army clients still unsure what's next when shelter closes next week

Carolyn Williams is no stranger to eviction. In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina swept through New Orleans, Williams fled her home. The mother of three has lived in Austin since then. But in January, her landlord evicted her and her son over mental health concerns.

“We lived on the street for three days,” Williams said.

In early February, she said she and her son found two beds at the Salvation Army downtown shelter, an opportunity she said would give her and her son a place to stay until they could regroup.

But on Feb. 17, just days after Williams moved into the shelter, the Salvation Army announced it would close its downtown facility, displacing around 100 people who were experiencing homelessness, leaving many without a place to stay.

After her son died last week, Williams said she is not sure what is next for her, but, like many of her neighbors, she voiced concerns on Wednesday morning during a Public Health Committee meeting at City Hall saying they had no place to go.

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“This was our saving grace, and was going to be a place to stay, but apparently not,” Williams said Wednesday. “We are being evicted from this place now too.”

The Salvation Army's local leadership said it has been working to relocate clients, including offering shelter in Dallas, and helping people to reconnect with family members.

But on Wednesday, there were still 32 people living at the shelter, which is expected to close March 15.

Many people said they had little time to prepare, or find solutions, before being forced to move, and with bed space already at capacity in Austin shelters there are not a lot of options available.

"It’s a slap in the face,” Williams said. “They are treating us like throwaway, and it is inhumane to give us only a couple weeks to find a place to stay. If couldn't find a place before, I don’t know how we are going to find place in this short amount of time. The Salvation Army needs to reevaluate their criteria and do something for us.”

'No place to go': Salvation Army closure strains Austin's under-resourced homeless population

Finding a solution for the Salvation Army's Austin clients

On Wednesday, Mayor Kirk Watson questioned if the Salvation Army had considered options to help those still without a place to go, including extending the closure date, as well as allowing the city to temporarily take over the facility to house people.

“This is not a way to do businesses with anyone," Watson said. "Let me be clear, this city is not going to let anyone be left without a place to go and no one on the street, and that will include not going to another city if you don’t want to. There is still some work to do.”

Salvation Army Maj. Lewis Reckline, who runs the shelter with his wife, Jacqulyn, said he and the board of directors planned to meet with city leaders on Friday to discuss those options, but that there was no guarantee either option would play out.

“We are moving towards this, and we have been in communication with the city and looking at what the future holds and have made adjustments as necessary,” Lewis Reckline said. “We will continue to try to relocate the clients.”

He said several clients already have been relocated to other facilities around town, and some were placed with their family members. But he said at least 10 people left the facility without any placement, which residents on Wednesday said was due to fear of being evicted. Reckline said he is not sure where those people went.

“It’s been a whirlwind,” Williams said. “There was no warning, and when people learned that they would have to look for another place to live it was devastating and overwhelming. We have no place to go.”

More:About a third of people in Austin's HEAL program leave shelters without a path to housing

Why is the Salvation Army shelter closing?

Reckline last week said that the downtown shelter has been an important foundation of local services, but the facility is aging and in disrepair. After a long period of consideration, he said the group had decided that it can no longer continue to offer the level and quality of care to clients at the facility.

Additionally, he said, the pandemic brought into sharp focus the challenges of operating the facility with the staff and support necessary, and it was no longer tenable to continue investing in the necessary infrastructure. The city provides funding to the Salvation Army annually. In 2023, the city gave $1 million to the organization, up from $600,000 given annually before.

“Closing this facility now will allow us to ultimately provide enhanced care for a meaningful number of families, women, and children in need,” he said. “Our motto is 'Doing The Most Good.' By purposefully consolidating our entrusted resources, we are confident our ability to deliver on our mission will be strengthened.”

In addition to relocating residents, Reckline said all but three of the facility's 80 employees had been reassigned.

What’s next for those living at the Salvation Army shelter?

City officials are expected to meet Friday with Salvation Army leaders to decide how to proceed so that remaining residents do not end up unsheltered.

Additionally, Watson said the city would work with Salvation Army in the coming days to make additional time available for those residents who need it, and if the city has to spend money to do that it will. But he reiterated that the Salvation Army had to be willing to keep the shelter open.

“I think the Salvation Army should be committed to not closing its doors before properly meeting the needs of clients. We need to address that," Watson said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin works on quick solution for Salvation Army shelter residents