A resource center adjacent to Austin's downtown homeless shelters reopened this spring to offer health, job, housing and other assistance to those in need.
The setup
A space in between two city-owned facilities—the Eighth Street Shelter and Austin Resource Center for the Homeless, or ARCH—was previously converted from a parking lot into an outdoor cooling and amenity area for homeless people. Former shelter operator Urban Alchemy designed the pilot concept as a safe resting place, calling it the Oasis.
Austin ended its partnership with Urban Alchemy last year after the city found some nonprofit staff had misrepresented shelter records. A new operator, Endeavors, was then selected on an emergency basis to manage both facilities for one year under an $8.03 million agreement. Endeavors has contracted with the city for other homelessness initiatives, including operating the temporary Marshalling Yard shelter.
Once Endeavors took over at the ARCH and Eighth Street facilities, the Oasis closed due to renewed focus on other services and a lack of funding. However, positive reception to the concept eventually resulted in its revival this year, according to David Gray, director of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations.
"We kept hearing from people how important it was to them for us to have a space like that open where people experiencing homelessness can just sit and relax and feel welcome, and then start the journey of getting case management, getting into shelter, and ultimately, getting into housing," he said in an interview.
The details
The former Oasis officially relaunched June 15 and is now called the SOW Community Resource Hub. The initiative was supported by the Sow Family Foundation in partnership with Endeavors, as well as contributions from Lowe's. No city funds are being used.
“We are proud to support this Hub and the expanded opportunities it offers,” Rachid Sow, the nonprofit's founder and executive director, said in a statement. “The site continues its history of serving those in need while now connecting people to a broader array of services that help them achieve stability.”
The resource hub is now open to anyone in need on weekdays from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. The space hosts professionals such as peer support specialists and case managers to help connect clients with services, offers bathrooms and occasionally serves food. Gray said there are also plans to add a staffed shower trailer.
Throughout this year, the hub will also host events such as resource fairs, health screenings and housing service assessments.
“We really are trying to make it more and more into a one-stop hub that is easy for folks to access, there's really no barriers to entry, and folks can come on-site and get connected with the service that they need," Gray said.
Zooming in
Sow originally approached the city with a proposal to reopen the space, Gray said, and the foundation signed an agreement with Endeavors to ensure accountability for site operations.
“It was important to us that there's a documented memorandum between Sow and Endeavors that outlines how the space will be used, what kind of services will be provided there, and who's ultimately liable and responsible for the successful stewardship of the hub," he said.
A relationship between Lowe's and Sow also contributed to the relaunch. The home improvement retailer supplied building materials and sent employees to help beautify the site, Gray said, including by removing old vegetation and adding new plantings.
Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations didn't confirm the total cost of the nonprofits' new resource hub initiative or statistics about previous outcomes from the Oasis as of press time.
