"To some degree, I’m disappointed today ... because some of what we’re seeing with regard to addressing people living homeless is frankly not how it’s supposed to work. It’s not the way government ought to be working, especially when we’re talking about our most vulnerable Texans," Mayor Kirk Watson said.
What's happening
Several state agencies are participating in an operation aimed at removing homeless people and encampments from Austin's public areas, Abbott announced Oct. 21. The Texas Department of Public Safety is leading the effort, he said, and coordinating with the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas State Guard and Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
"Texans should not endure public safety risks from homeless encampments and individuals," Abbott said in a statement. “Weapons, needles and other debris should not litter the streets of our community, and the state of Texas is taking action. I directed state agencies to address this risk and make Austin safer and cleaner for residents and visitors to live, travel and conduct business.”
The initiative is taking place under a 2021 state law that bans camping in public, as well as Austin's local camping ban that was reinstated by city voters the same year. Abbott said anyone violating state or local laws will be arrested and that homeless encampment debris will be removed.
Since last week, Abbott said "numerous" people have been arrested for various reasons including several with outstanding warrants. He also said firearms and drug paraphernalia had been removed across the city, and reported the state operation has:
- Closed 48 encampments
- Removed more than 3,000 pounds of debris
- Arrested 24 repeat felony offenders
- Seized more than 125 grams of narcotics
While Abbott and other state leaders touted results so far, city officials said the operation duplicated ongoing local efforts without long-term benefit.
Austin Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said state law enforcement agents arrived unannounced Oct. 21 at an encampment where city staff were already working to clean up and move residents into shelter. Both he and Watson labeled the "show of force" as an inefficient use of public dollars, and one that will only relocate homeless encampments from one neighborhood to another.
“Sending in the state guard, the National Guard, DPS, that can make you look tough. And that’s the current MO of some right now. But it does not solve the issues," Watson said. "All it does if you send some group in just to clear someplace is move the problem. It just moves the problem if you’re not doing the real work of helping the human that you’re dealing with.”
A city statement released late Oct. 21 said Texas' initiative moved ahead "without city of Austin involvement or coordination," and came after the state was notified of a new local encampment response program starting up this week. The city also said more support is needed to connect those affected with shelter, housing resources and mental health interventions.
"While we welcome additional, much-needed resources, collaboration is key to ensuring effectiveness and efficiency. It is unclear if state crews are connecting individuals to resources. Sustained support is critical to breaking the cycle of homelessness, rather than just moving people from one place to another," the city said in the statement.
Abbott's office didn't respond to questions about the operation Oct. 21. A TxDOT spokesperson deferred comment to the governor's news release, and DPS, TDCJ and the Texas State Guard didn't respond to requests for comment as of press time.
The approach
Texas' renewed involvement in Austin-area homelessness response this fall is the latest back-and-forth between Abbott and local officials over encampment management.
Following City Council's 2019 decision to lift a ban on public camping, Abbott directed state agencies to begin clearing out encampments around Austin. That situation led to the creation of a state-sanctioned property for the homeless off US 183: the Esperanza Community managed by The Other Ones Foundation that's now expanding with both local and state support.
Austin staff members have also been holding weekly coordination calls with TxDOT about those clearing operations and other homelessness issues since earlier this year, Gray said. But despite that recent history, no notice was given about the October event.
“I don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have a 6-month solid track record of demonstrating that the state and the city can work together when we go in with a shared orientation and a shared purpose," he said. "But when partners go rogue and decide to do their own thing, that’s when we run into the challenge that we ran into today."
One more thing
The state clearing operation was announced as Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations is moving ahead on another, separate, encampment-focused initiative that's already addressed dozens of sites citywide.
The new management program will run through Nov. 8 in an effort to shutter priority encampments, and connect residents with resources well ahead of the winter season and other anticipated severe weather. The move follows adjustments made last year in the city's cold weather emergency shelter network, and is designed to protect Ausitnites and public areas.
“Let’s engage with people now, let’s get them into shelter now, let’s clean up the spaces now before the rain hits and it pushes all that debris into our waterways and ultimately into the lakes and the rivers that we all love to enjoy," Gray said.
The HSO will provide weekly reporting on those encampment efforts through early November.
