The city and partners cleared out four encampments in different areas of the metro in what a Thursday press release called “compassionate closing(s), moving several dozen of their residents to city shelters.
The closed encampments were on Barton Creek Greenbelt, Williamson Creek East, Indian Grass Prairie, and North Walnut Creek. People experiencing homelessness at the sites were offered access to shelter and connection to housing resources, and 63 of those formerly at the four sites were relocated to the city’s Northbridge and Southbridge shelters.
“Transitioning from encampments into shelter signifies a significant step towards stability, support, and access to resources and care. The cleanup of four encampments reflects our commitment to ensuring a safer community,” said Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray.
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that cities can enforce bans on sleeping outside in public places.
Both moves were part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link Initiative, part of the city’s broader effort to address homelessness and return public spaces to their intended uses, according to the press release. The city’s Homeless Strategy Office worked with the Austin Parks and Recreation Department, Austin Police Department, the Austin Area Urban League, Endeavors, and other community partners to create and begin implementing the program in 2021, developing a mobile encampment assessment tool that uses more than 40 factors to prioritize encampments for HEAL intervention.
More than 835 people have moved from high-risk encampments to the city’s Northbridge and Southbridge shelters since the HEAL program began.
