AUSTIN, Texas — Austin City Council will vote on Thursday to buy and transform a hotel into a family violence shelter, a city spokesperson said in a news release. It will be operated by the nonprofit the SAFE Alliance, which focuses on serving those who experience violence and abuse.

This vote marks the first time in 10 years Austin has added a new family violence shelter space.

“As our community continues to grow, the need for shelter grows with it,” said SAFE Co-CEO Julia Spann. “With this incredible commitment from the City of Austin, we will be able to provide more shelter space than ever before. And at this new shelter, SAFE will provide residents with case management, basic needs support (food, hygiene, etc.), children’s services, and many other resources that help families heal and leave shelter with a plan for a safer future.”

The resolution is sponsored by council members Gregorio Casar, Paige Ellis, Kathie Tovo, Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper-Madison, and Mayor Steve Adler.

“This purchase adds new family violence shelter beds in Austin for the first time in more than a decade – this is a long time coming,” Councilman Casar said. “Austin is safer when family violence shelters and prevention services are in place. This is a true investment in public safety.”

SAFE’s current violence shelter only has 30 rooms and a constant waitlist, which has nearly 40 people on it on any given day. This new shelter, once renovated, will have 50 additional rooms.

Since the pandemic, SAFE has received record- breaking number of calls. This year October, the agency received 2,394 contacts, with more than 80% of them related to family violence.