Texas’ capital city had a public camping ban in place for 23 years before it was repealed in 2019. Austinites are now voting on whether to revive it.
Tents are seen in a homeless encampment on East 7th Street in Austin, Texas, along with a Vote No on Prop B sign. (Courthouse News photo/Madison Venza)
AUSTIN, Texas (CN) Austin’s storied past dealing with homelessness is headed toward a new chapter.
On Saturday, Austinites will for the first time have a chance to decide whether to again make it a crime for anyone to camp within city limits. Proposition B seeks to reinstate a criminal penalty for persons sleeping in the city outside of designated camping areas and for obstructing public sidewalks by either sitting or lying down. But Mayor Steve Adler, City Council members and homeless service providers are fighting to keep Prop B from becoming law.
More than $31 million in taxpayer money the city of Austin devoted to combatting homelessness last year has not been spent, raising questions from city officials as to whether the money is still available and can be repurposed to house the increasing number of people living outdoors.
An analysis of fiscal year 2020 spending shows the city did not proceed with multiple planned expenditures for homelessness services, including $1.3 million in operating costs associated with a motel the city decided against purchasing in South Austin. Another $4.8 million that was intended to secure permanent housing through a public-private partnership using investor funds never got out the door when the program was scrapped in favor of a traditional model.