“This property gives us a lot of potential to do a purpose-built navigation center," Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said in an interview.
The big picture
Navigation centers are critical for homeless response, Gray previously said, serving as a "one-stop-shop" for clients to connect with personal case managers, get health checkups, store medication, manage mail and address criminal justice issues. He's noted the efficiency of having services accessible in one place, both for clients seeking support and the use of city funds.
The existing navigation center, based out of Sunrise Community Church at 4430 Menchaca Road, has served hundreds of clients from around the city and received millions of local and federal dollars in recent years. It's also been a consistent point of contention in the surrounding community due to public safety complaints and its proximity to Joslin Elementary School.
The Homeless Strategy Office had worked with Sunrise on “operational enhancements” at the existing location, like improved cleaning around the site and the launch of a hotline to reduce in-person visits. Still, Gray said the need for a new navigation system has been evident, and his office has spent the past year searching for a suitable replacement.
"I think there was a clear indication that we needed a new place in this part of town for people to receive navigation services," he said.
After considering whether any city-owned property could be suitable location and reviewing dozens of other sites, the HSO identified a property at 2401 S. I-35 as a potential new site. A proposed relocation plan could see Austin buy the property and begin leasing it as a navigation center as soon as next spring.
Gray said he couldn't comment on whether Sunrise would also make the move across town, or if the city would choose a new operator or open a public solicitation for a replacement.
The navigation center relocation was first publicly announced in early June by council member Ryan Alter, whose District 5 includes Sunrise. The potential new site was announced by the HSO Sept. 3.
"We have a real gap in housing navigation services in Austin. By connecting people with services faster and more effectively, we can drive better outcomes for the entire community,” Alter said in a statement. “This is a major step forward—and I’m committed to continuing to work with HSO to expand and strengthen our prevention and response network."
Austin staff aimed to avoid the same challenges experienced at the Sunrise church like proximity to school and public areas, Gray said, while securing an accessible location. As property owner, the city will also have more control with features like a single monitored entry point and planned site improvements based on "Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles," according to the city.
“For us, it’s important that we maintain a safe environment for the clients who we’re serving as well as for our neighbors in the community," Gray said.
The outlook
The announcement of the possible new navigation center location doesn't represent a final decision, and resident input will inform how services are relocated. Feedback or questions can be emailed to [email protected].
City officials said they want to hear from impacted residents, business owners and navigation center clients before advancing a deal. Gray said the current approach differs from some of Austin's past property purchases for homeless shelter or housing that prompted community pushback and legal action, and that his office welcomes both positive feedback and criticism about the plan.
“This really represents a paradigm shift in how our office is doing our work with our community," he said. "We’ve heard very clearly from Austinites that when the city buys property and makes plans, the public wants to know about it. The public does not want to learn about a property acquisition through a council agenda. And this process that we’re rolling out today is our attempt to demonstrate to the public that we are acting on the direction that we’ve been given, meaning we are pursuing this openly."
"My focus with this potential site is ensuring that we provide our unhoused neighbors with the necessary resources they need in a safe and effective manner, and that we are being good neighbors," he said in a statement.
The site's most recent publicly appraised market value was $3.11 million. City Council may vote in October on the property acquisition, which Gray said could total roughly $4 million plus design costs. He also said staff evaluated the property for "nonstarters" that could limit services, and that its proximity to bus service and the city-owned Southbridge shelter make it a good fit.
“We’ve worked through our initial list of deal-killers, and that’s why we’re now at a point where we’re ready to engage the community around this project and hear their feedback," he said.
The HSO has reported that Austin should have more than one navigation center given its population and geographic size with facilities strategically placed on different sides of town. Gray said the potential I-35 purchase won't halt consideration of other sites or strategies, especially after $500,000 was dedicated to navigation services in Austin's upcoming budget.
“All of our cards are still on the table with respect to additional navigation services. There are some folks who operate navigation-like services today and so we’re giving some consideration to helping those entities enhance their service offerings so that they can serve more people at their existing locations. We’ve also had some conversations with our peer local agencies about co-locating services," he said.
Zooming out
Conditions around Sunrise's current navigation center have prompted legal and legislative action against the nonprofit.
Attorney General Ken Paxton sued Sunrise last year for operating as a public nuisance, alleging the center had "hijacked an entire neighborhood" by drawing illegal activity to the area. That lawsuit was moved to federal district court this year before a judge returned the case to Travis County district court in the spring. Paxton's attempt to shut down the facility has so far been unsuccessful, and legal proceedings are ongoing.
Safety issues around the property were also referenced by state lawmakers this spring during review of legislation that would've stopped homeless service centers from operating near schools.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, authored Senate Bill 2623 to enforce "school safety zones" near Texas navigation centers and compiled data on hundreds of 911 calls and police responses around the Sunrise property for various reasons since 2019. SB 2623 passed the Senate but failed to reach a final House vote this spring.
Mayor Kirk Watson said navigation services are a "necessary component" of the city's response to homelessness, and that the new property could address issues experienced at the current center with more civic oversight.
"As owner of the site, the City—through HSO—will maintain stronger oversight and accountability than current navigation center models that operate independently and have admittedly been the target of complaints. I’m very pleased we are moving forward with our homeless plan and making much progress," he said in a statement.
