Emergency Shelters

At the downtown Red Shield Lodge and Social Services Center, men, women, and children in need receive food and safe shelter. Those that want help beyond emergency lodging and food receive important resource support leading to jobs and housing.

We see over 4,000 people a year at our downtown location. We serve more than 800 meals here a day. We house a clinic. We offer veterans outreach. We help people get jobs. We have a transitional program for people who are newly employed. They may live at the shelter temporarily, paying a modest amount, while they seek permanent housing.

In ordinary weather conditions, we have the ability to offer beds to 259 people. When temperatures approach freezing, The Salvation Army joins with the city, area churches and other partners to provide extended shelter capacity for those looking for a place out of the cold to sleep.

The Austin Shelter for Women and Children, has the ability to sleep sixty women and children at a time. Additionally, six beds are reserved for women without children. We help clients with job acquisition, financial planning, child and family therapy, after-school tutoring and transportation to local schools. The shelter includes one of the state’s only licensed child-care centers for homeless children. With it’s appropriately low teacher/child ratio, the center can address special needs.

We work with clients to link them to long-term housing opportunities. Clients, while they are working on their self-sufficiency goals with their assigned case manager, have the option of staying in residence between thirty to ninety days. The city funds the program; the county provides the property; and The Salvation Army operates the program.