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Austin opens converted motel as new domestic violence shelter with public-art installation
Summary
City and nonprofit leaders on Sept. 10, 2025, held a ribbon-cutting for a renovated former motel in East Austin that will operate as a domestic violence shelter run by SAFE Alliance in partnership with Austin Public Health; the site includes a trauma-informed public art piece titled "Ofrendas."
Austin officials and community partners on Sept. 10, 2025, formally opened a renovated former motel in East Austin as a domestic violence shelter operated by SAFE Alliance in partnership with Austin Public Health, officials said at a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes, chair of the City Council public health committee, called the facility “a true safe haven, a place to rest, to heal, and to reclaim power over one's future.” Council member Chito Vela read a proclamation declaring Sept. 10, 2025, “Ofrendas dedication day” to mark the installation of a new public-art work created with shelter residents.
The shelter and the accompanying public-art installation are intended to expand immediate options for people fleeing family violence, city and nonprofit leaders said. Adrian Sturrup, director of Austin Public Health, said the facility will streamline access to services so “no longer will survivors have to choose between staying in danger…
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