'Which is it?' ask Candlewood critics: elderly facility, domestic violence shelter, or something else entirely ...

Mayor Adler: he's no Monty Hall

Perhaps the City of Austin is telling skeptical taxpayers "Let's Make a Deal" when it comes to contradictory announcements on how to use an embattled hotel property it purchased last year.

Somewhat like the famed television game show, the Austin City Council has suggested, at various times over the past year, three ways to use the former Candlewood Suites on Pecan Park Boulevard in Northwest Austin. And which one is the real plan (if any) is anyone's guess. Here they are:

• Behind Door No. 1: a general permanent supportive housing project similar to others being implemented across the city, as discussed before the purchase.
  
  
• Behind Door No. 2: a women's shelter for domestic violence victims, as announced when the property was purchased by the Austin City Council over the summer.
  
  
• And Behind Door No. 3: a shelter for the elderly, as a Feb. 3 vote to partner with non-profit Family Eldercare would suggest. 

The folks at MOVE Candlewood (formerly Stop Candlewood, an alliance of neighbors and business owners opposed to this housing first project), are not playing contestant and are through guessing. Rather, they would much prefer the city take their money elsewhere, far and away from other hotels, residential backyards, and school practice fields, and use it more efficiently.

In a press release, titled "Will the real Candlewood plan please stand?" MOVE Candlewood co-founder Rupal Chaudhari (also Democratic incumbent Andy Brown's challenger in the race for Travis County Judge, by the way) accuses the city of ignoring better options in favor of "unanimously vague" maneuvers that have left the former hotel vacant for over a year. Her family's partnership, which owns two hotels which share a parking lot with the Candlewood, have amended their year-old lawsuit to reflect the growing obfuscation.

The announcement came on a day of national attention for Austin's homelessness policies. Save Austin Now co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek appeared as guest on "The Dr. Phil Show" on Thursday and Friday to discuss the success of the city's voter-approved homeless camping ban and challenges still facing Austin.

We quote MOVE Candlewood's press release in full below:

AUSTIN — Supporters of a better way to help Austin's unhoused population are again left in the dark by the city of Austin.

In February 2021, the Council announced plans to purchase and then convert the Candlewood Suites off Pecan Park Boulevard in Northwest Austin into general public supportive housing. 

News of the planned purchase — adjacent to businesses and in close proximity to private residences and school facilities — sparked numerous demonstrations, the founding of community advocacy organization MOVE Candlewood (formerly Stop Candlewood), stark opposition by Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell and other community leaders, and a lawsuit by hotel owners who share a parking lot with the Candlewood.

In August 2021, and as a surprise to everyone, the Council voted 6-4 to buy the embattled hotel for use as a women's shelter, perhaps as a means to soften the image of the controversial purchase.

On Feb. 3 (2022) the Council voted unanimously to contract with Family Eldercare for management of the former hotel, seemingly changing the focus of the facility into a shelter for the elderly.

"Which one is it?" asked Rupal Chaudhari, co-founder of MOVE Candlewood. "Again, the Council has reached a decision completely devoid of community input and with scant accountability. Austinites deserve better than the unanimously vague leadership shown by the Council, Mayor, and city staff.

"We have been suggesting better alternatives to the Candlewood purchase for over a year now, including a hotel property owned by the city that can house hundreds. These alternatives were met with shockingly little interest by the Council and city staff. We're left with no other conclusion than that the city has no substantive, concrete plan for housing the homeless."

The plaintiffs amended their lawsuit, originally filed in February 2021, to reflect the uncertainty over the intended purpose of purchasing the former hotel. The link to the amended petition may be read here.

The Candlewood purchase cost taxpayers $9.5 million to house approximately 50 people.

The mission of MOVE Candlewood is to Make Our Voices Equal in the Austin area. To learn more about the ongoing effort to restore trust at city hall and beyond visit www.stopcandlewood.com.

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