AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly (District 6) is closely watching the progress of Pecan Gardens, which sits on the site of the former Candlewood Suites Hotel.
The vacant property that sits in her district is supposed to house those who are 55-years-old and over who consistently deal with homelessness and have a disability.
Still, it sits vacant – a sight that is frustrating to Kelly.
"Quite frankly, if this were a business running this project, the business would be out of business," Kelly said.
The City of Austin bought the property two years ago for over $9 million, but it has yet to be operational. Last year, the property was vandalized and there were issues discovered as part of its rehabilitation.
On Thursday, leaders approved spending more than $2 million for contractor Family Eldercare to keep the project moving forward.
"It's frustrating to me that we keep pouring money into this project because of the failures of the City that we are having to make up for," Kelly said, adding, "I don't believe the City should be in the business of permanent supportive housing. That should be best left to people who know what they're doing and have worked in this space before."
Matthew Mollica is the executive director of Ending Community Homeless Coalition (ECHO). He shares Kelly's frustration in waiting on these units two years later.
"There's a lot that can be done by the City of Austin," Mollica said. "Anytime we're building housing for people experiencing homelessness, time is of the essence. We have folks living on our streets now, we have folks living in our shelters now."
Kelly anticipates the hotel will open for permanent supportive housing in March.