City of Austin launches homeless encampment surge Monday

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Starting Monday, the city of Austin launched a homeless encampment surge, which is scheduled to last for roughly three weeks, according to a memo from Director of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations David Gray.

According to another memo obtained by KXAN regarding results from the first day of that surge, the city cleaned up 46 encampments and visited 29 more for outreach Monday.

“Most people agreed to leave voluntarily, and staff connected several people to shelter and/or additional services. One person received life-saving CPR from an APD team. Two arrests were made: one for criminal trespass and resisting arrest, and one for a drug-related charge,” that memo said.

Gray said the city is doing this now to get people out of risky spaces ahead of the fall and winter, which can have more severe and dangerous weather conditions. The city is also concerned about heightened fire danger right now.

An internal communication about the initiative, provided to KXAN, said the city will focus on the following moving forward:

• Week 1: Freeways, frontage roads, high-traffic corridors, and adjacent alleyways and
  pedestrian/bike trails
• Week 2: Certain street levels, neighborhood parks and playgrounds, public library campuses and recreation areas
• Week 3: Large greenbelts and parks that pose major wildfire risks

“Multiple City departments are assigning staff to one of 12 crews working across three geographic zones in the City. The City is also stopping general intake at City-owned shelters to devote to this initiative,” that document said.