Violet storage program is moving

The city’s free storage service for people experiencing homelessness is moving. The Violet KeepSafe Storage Program will be relocated to 700 E. Seventh St. as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 18. (To accommodate the move, storage will be closed from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the 18th, after opening from 7 to 9 a.m. at the old HealthSouth location.) After relocation, the VKS program will continue its normal 7 a.m.-7 p.m. hours of operation. “The program is currently operating in an outdoor setting, which can be challenging in inclement weather, hot summer months and cold winter months for program participants and staff,” Pete Valdez, administrator for the Downtown Austin Community Court, explained in a statement to the press. “The new location will allow for an indoor, climate-controlled environment, which will also improve conditions for storing belongings and has restrooms and running water accessible for staff and program participants.”