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(Charlie L. Harper III)
More than eight months into the pandemic, area homeless shelters report fewer beds and volunteers due to social distancing protocols. But their clientele remains in need, so their staff have come up with new solutions, from using QR codes for donations to Thanksgiving sack meals.
With everyone being advised to limit interactions this Thanksgiving, Austonia takes a look at how Austin's shelters are coping with COVID.
<p><strong>Fewer shelter beds and volunteers </strong></p><p>Jason Whaley, communication manager for Austin's Salvation Army, said the pandemic has made their shelter space scarce. </p><p>"We had to reduce our overall shelter capacity just based off CDC guidelines," he said. "You know, we've made beds, separated them into over six feet apart."</p><p>But the changes have been effective. </p><p>"Now fortunately we have not had to deal with a COVID outbreak at any of our shelters so that's a very good thing, and I believe that the protocols had a lot to do with that," he said. <br/></p><p>That said, implementing safety procedures has cut down the number of badly needed volunteers. </p><p>"It certainly reduces the amount of volunteers we can actually have in the warehouse so we are most certainly cutting back in terms of just the amount of people for safety reasons," Whaley said, adding that this year those iconic red Salvation Army donation kettles will include QR codes, "so the people don't actually have to touch cash or touch the kettles."</p><p><strong>A move from downtown </strong></p><p>Monte Osburn, the executive director of The Foundation for the Homeless, said the pandemic has affected every aspect of his organization but especially its Feed My People program, which serves free breakfast every Tuesday and Thursday in downtown Austin.</p><p>"We would serve somewhere between four and six hundred per breakfast before COVID, and now it's down to maybe a hundred, 150, just because the population experiencing homelessness and needing that breakfast have kind of moved away from downtown into some other areas," he said. </p><p>Elaborating on the importance of the socializing aspect of the Feed My People program, Osburn said: "One of the draws for our clients to come in to have these breakfasts, it's not so much of the food, which is one type of sustenance, but they miss that connection with someone that they can speak to and just sit for a while and have a conversation with somebody rather than just surviving." </p><p>Volunteering at the foundation has been curbed significantly as well, as at other local organizations. But Osburn stressed that there are other ways to help beyond volunteering, including donating money and items such as masks and travel-sized personal hygiene products. </p><p>Another option: "Just becoming more knowledgeable about the issue," she said.</p><p><span></span><strong>Seeking warmth</strong></p><p>Amy Price, of Austin's Front Steps, said that another way to help the local homeless population is to donate a blanket through the organization's annual winter drive. </p><p> "Every year as winter arrives, there is a steady demand for blankets," she said. "We distribute blankets to shelter clients, individuals (who are) unsheltered and living in camps and outside places, and through the other nonprofits who work with people experiencing homelessness."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f507206fecaac07e6e2f6f40e1ddb4f3"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/FrontSteps/posts/3316852551722087"></div></div><p>The goal this year is to get 1,300 blankets, and as Price explains, "We really need specific blankets, because the size and what the blankets are made of matters so much."<br/></p><p>After taking some time to talk to clients and staff, Front Steps learned which blankets worked best and what blankets did not work at all. </p><p>"Wool blankets are a no-go, because most people living rough have skin damage and the wool is terribly irritating to wind- (and) sun-burned skin. Cotton blankets are a no-go because they soak up moisture from dew, rain (and) sleet and they become too heavy to carry and there is no way to dry them. Small blankets don't keep out the wind and cold," she said. "Our clients are adult men, and they know those small fleeces won't keep them warm." The blankets to donate to Front Steps should be twin- or full-sized.</p><p><strong>Increased need </strong></p><p>Antwon R. Martin, of the SAFE Alliance, an organization which offers shelter and housing as well as counseling for at risk individuals, says the pandemic has increased the number of people seeking shelter from abuse. "There are more people coming to SAFE for support, but the amount of shelter space we have, as always, is extremely limited," says Martin.</p><p>Due to the pandemic, volunteers are down and even basic fundraising has become a problem for the organization. </p><p>"Because of COVID-19, we couldn't hold our big fundraising events in person this year," Martin said. "Our annual gala raises more than $1 million each year, but we had to convert it to a digital event, which raised about $620,000. So we're doing everything we can to provide a high level of support to survivors of violence and abuse while finding ways to offset the decrease in donations."</p><p>The pandemic, with its shelter-in-place strictures, has made it particularly difficult for individuals who are risking abuse by simply staying at home.</p><p>"For many, home isn't a safe place," says Martin. "When someone is isolating inside a home with a partner or caregiver who uses abuse, the chance to reach out for support may never happen."</p><p><strong>Building community</strong><br/></p><p>Alan Graham, the founder and CEO of Mobile Loaves and Fishes, is used to organizing a big Thanksgiving meal in downtown Austin, but this year things will be different.</p><p>"We're doing it outside, and we'll end up making some simple sack meals that people can come and pick up and take away," he said. "So the intimacy of what we do has got to be postponed for this year and hopefully we'll be back next year."</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ee3a82aae9565713faa188d4c69dd10f" id="d72bf"><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="4" style=" background:#FFF; border:0;
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</div></blockquote></div><p>For Graham, whose organization not only brings out food to people daily but also runs Community First Village in far East Austin, the communal aspect is key to his work.</p><p>"Our belief in what homelessness is is not that you're without a house," he said. "We believe that housing is important, we believe housing is necessary but it is still insufficient as far as what the human person needs. And we have a saying at Mobile Loaves & Fishes that housing will never solve homelessness but community will."</p>
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(Charlie L. Harper III)
Save Austin Now co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek filed a lawsuit against the city of Austin on Friday after their petition to reinstate a camping ban was ruled invalid.
<p>"We are absolutely convinced that over 148 days, with more than 80 volunteers, we collected more than the required 20,000 signed petitions, in the middle of shelter-at-home during a global pandemic, and that the City of Austin, the City Clerk's office and the City Council colluded to prevent this ordinance from appearing on the November ballot," Mackowiak said in a statement Friday.</p><p>The city follows state law and local requirements for all citizen initiatives, regardless of the subject matter, a spokesperson said in a statement to Austonia. </p><p>"We are confident in the integrity of the process the Clerk followed, and are frankly disappointed to have received this lawsuit after the election, and just over 15 weeks after the end of the signature validation process," the spokesperson sadded.</p><p>Save Austin Now, a local nonprofit, announced on July 21 that it had collected 24,598 signatures—well over the 20,000 required—in support of a petition that would reinstate the city's camping ban. Had it been verified, the petition would have been included on the local Nov. 3 ballot.<br/></p><p>In reviewing the petition, however, Austin City Clerk Jannette Goodall discovered a number of issues, according to her August ruling. </p><p>Nearly a hundred signatures were removed because of requests from signers. The clerk's office also discovered that the petition contained two versions of the language being proposed in the ordinance, which led to 397 signatures being removed.</p><p>Of the remaining 24,201 signatures, the clerk's office used a random sample to verify the petition.</p><p>"Of the 6,051 submitted sample lines checked under the sampling method, 1,147 of the sample lines were disqualified on account of being duplicate signatures of registered voters who signed more than once (41), or for other reasons (1,106)," Goodall wrote. </p><p>Ultimately, the clerk estimates that there were 19,122 valid signatures on the petition, which was not enough to make the ballot.</p><p>"The probability that checking all 24,201 submitted signatures would find a total of at least 20,000 valid signatures is less than 3 in one billion," Goodall wrote.</p><p>Save Austin Now submitted a public information request following this ruling—the basis of its lawsuit.</p><p>"We believe as many as five justifications used to throw out signatures were inappropriate," said Mackowiak, who is also chairman of the Travis County GOP. "The threshold for infringing on the right to petition your government should be very high. We will relentlessly fight this battle in the courts, and we believe we will prevail." </p><p>The group's goal is to have its petition validated and included on the ballot in the next local election, which will occur in May.</p><p>Austin City Council overturned the city's ban on public sitting, panhandling, lying and camping in August 2019 after advocates said such bans criminalize homelessness. </p><p>Local business owners, the Austin Police Association and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott criticized the decision, which they said risked public health and safety. </p><p>In October, the council revisited the issue and voted to limit where camping is allowed, banning it from sidewalks, near houses, near the Austin Resource Center for the Homeless and other shelters, and outside businesses during operating hours, among other limits.</p><p><a href="https://austonia.com/poll-results-homeless-camping" target="_self">An Austonia poll</a> taken shortly after the group turned in their petition showed the majority of respondents—nearly 80 percent—said they would vote to reinstate the ban on public camping.</p><p><em>This story has been updated to include a response from the city of Austin. </em><br/></p>
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(Jordan Vonderhaar)
Pre-pandemic, homelessness was one of Austin's most pressing issues, and COVID has only exacerbated concerns.
Below Austonia digs into the city's homelessness policies—from hygiene infrastructure to the 2019 decision to overturn a ban on camping—and how it has affected the local population.
<p>In an effort to decriminalize homelessness, Austin City Council voted to overturn a ban on camping in June 2019.</p><p>Although advocates applauded the decision, local business owners, the Austin Police Association and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott opposed the move, arguing that it did not address the root causes of homelessness and would threaten public health and safety. </p><p>Since the ban was overturned, the city's 311 department has reported a marked increase in calls regarding homelessness, based on data obtained by Austonia.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe aria-label="Interactive line chart" frameborder="0" height="429" id="datawrapper-chart-QCHe5" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/QCHe5/5/" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Homeless-related 311 calls"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}();
</script></div><p>In the year before the council vote, 311 recorded 1,426 homeless service requests. <br/></p><p>Since the ban was overturned, the number of calls have nearly quadrupled. </p><p>Part of this may be that Austin's homeless population is more visible.</p><p>The point-in-time count, an annual census conducted by the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition each January, found a 45% increase in the city's unsheltered population this year, which the organization attributed to increased volunteerism and better counting methods.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe aria-label="Grouped Bars" frameborder="0" height="390" id="datawrapper-chart-eucCL" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/eucCL/4/" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Volunteers against total unsheltered individuals"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}();
</script></div><p>But others disputed this explanation, including the local nonprofit Save Austin Now, which has campaigned to reinstate the ban.<br/></p><p>"Our homeless population is rapidly growing, and this stunning increase proves the homeless camping ordinance is acting as a magnet for homeless individuals to come to Austin," co-founder and Travis County GOP Chairperson Matt Mackowiak <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SaveAustinNow/posts/142073594060752" target="_blank">wrote in a statement</a> earlier this year.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe aria-label="Map" frameborder="0" height="621" id="datawrapper-chart-8mFhw" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/8mFhw/3/" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Unsheltered population by City Council district"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}();
</script></div><p>Then the pandemic arrived—and with it the risk of outbreaks at shelters and camps.<br/></p><p>The city established five protective lodges at motels around town where homeless residents can self isolate and convalesce. It also increased its distribution of water stations, porta-potties and other resources to camps around town in an effort to encourage hygienic practices.</p><p>More recently, amid complaints from Austinites who live near some of the homeless camps, the city has resumed more regular cleanups.</p><div class="rm-embed embed-media"><iframe aria-label="chart" frameborder="0" height="430" id="datawrapper-chart-UPcyN" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/UPcyN/9/" style="width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;" title="Homeless sites cleaned by the City of Austin"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">!function(){"use strict";window.addEventListener("message",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data["datawrapper-height"])for(var e in a.data["datawrapper-height"]){var t=document.getElementById("datawrapper-chart-"+e)||document.querySelector("iframe[src*='"+e+"']");t&&(t.style.height=a.data["datawrapper-height"][e]+"px")}}))}();
</script></div><p>This month, contractors will clean dozens of camps across town, mostly under highway overpasses.<br/></p><p>The city's watershed protection department also performs regular cleanups at camps near riverbeds and creeks. Since the pandemic began in March, the department has cleaned six such sites.<br/></p><p>Kyle Carvell, a spokesperson for the city's public works department, said these cleanups are scheduled regularly and are not "unannounced sweeps." Individuals are able to remain at these camps, and their belongings are not thrown out. Instead the city aims to remove trash and debris.</p><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on homelessness: </strong><br/></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-camps-photos" target="_self">Photo essay: A look inside Austin's homeless camps amid COVID, cleanups</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjU0OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODI4MjM5N30.3K4RQ_OvX41EkinAWptBCqBOrQte3fn5GgdU6EIsKcE/img.jpg?width=980" id="adefa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="6ef5a19b792f538e617e0960b7510e65" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Photo essay: A look inside Austin's homeless camps amid COVID, cleanups(Jordan Vonderhaar)
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(Humanize Austin)
Instead of mourning the brain tumor diagnosis he received in August, Dusty Monroe took it as a sign: he needed to do more for his community. The tumor wasn't cancerous, luckily. Still, Monroe stuck to his epiphany. But where to start?
<p>While scrolling on Reddit, Monroe stumbled upon a post made about "Bucket Guy." After losing income due to COVID-19, Bucket Guy took to the streets performing drum solos on buckets for extra cash next to a sign with his name and his Venmo.</p><p>"Someone should make him a better sign," one comment read.</p><p>Monroe, who has a background in graphic design, took it upon himself to do just that—designing, printing and delivering a new sign to Bucket Guy.</p><p>"I have a cool, unique set of skills, but my whole life I really used them only for myself and for my family and that kind of woke me up and I was like, 'Dude, you could die,'" Monroe said. "This opportunity to go help this one guy, make them cool little signs was kind of trivial (but) made me feel good."</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-html5_video">
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</p><p>Monroe then knew how he was going to help the community.<br/></p><p>Humanize Austin is a new nonprofit that uses technology to help Austin's homeless residents get off the street, connect them with resources and educate the public on the causes of homelessness.</p><p>The company plans to provide qualifying homeless individuals with a sign featuring a unique QR code and link that will take people who scan to a web page. There they will find the person's story, as well as a video of how they got where they are, what skills they have and a seamless way to offer that person a job or donate money.</p><p><br/></p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="15cb20a807c81c1ff5333e017e87e69b" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="79677" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3ODgyMC9vcmlnaW4ucG5nIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0OTQ4NjEwOH0.2NxgvPpoGnS3gAAetzUNiPikuGrqdm1rjPs3rOksrsI/img.png?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Signs will look similar to this mockup.</small></p><p>Monroe said there is evidence suggesting homeless people are often perceived as less human, so he is striving to correct that perception and humanize Austin's homeless population, hence the name.<br/></p><p>"The hope is that it's like a two-minute video, not very long, just quick enough to learn about them, and help humanize who they are," Monroe said. "Give them a story, give them a face and give them an opportunity and a platform to reduce that discrimination and prejudice." </p><p>Monroe said one of the key issues with homelessness is a decline in self-esteem, sometimes making the individual feel worthless, which makes it harder to get back on their feet. Because of that, sign-holders will automatically donate 20% of the donations they receive to an organization of their choice.</p><p>"I think this is the key differentiator for us," Monroe said. "(The homeless) begin to contribute to society in a meaningful way, by choosing to have some of their donations given to that nonprofit."</p><p>Monroe will serve as the creative lead on the signs, designing them himself. Humanize Austin doesn't have any signs on the street yet, as they are still in the early stages of development, but they are on track to start doling out signs in January.</p><p>Monroe said he wants to help the homeless beyond creating these signs. For that reason, Humanize Austin is planning to partner with several other organizations, like Salvation Army, that focus on helping homeless people reintegrate into society.</p><p>"(We are) really trying to partner with different community organizations as well as make it just a grassroots effort," Monroe said.</p>Humanize Austin is always looking for volunteers and is available on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/humanizeaustin1/?ref=page_internal" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/humanizeaustin/?hl=en" target="_blank">Instagram.</a><p><br/></p><p><strong>More on homelessness:</strong></p>
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-population" target="_self">Austin's homeless camps face COVID and cleanups one year after governor's intervention</a></h2>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTkwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjQ1NzM5NH0.gu3t665mtF2IGSS1VcXTRTfjg7inMUi5Pc1R7TBMP7w/img.jpg?width=980" id="e3688" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="19971e9f509750c0c4cff961f3b3dc54" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin’s homeless camps face COVID and cleanups one year after governor's intervention(Jordan Vonderhaar)
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(Jordan Vonderhaar)
A person sleeps in the homeless encampment across from the Central Market on South Lamar Boulevard—which residents call the Breezeway.
It's been a year since Texas Gov. Greg Abbott intervened in Austin's homelessness crisis.
Prompted by the City Council's June 2019 decision to overturn a ban on public camping and reports of crime by homeless suspects, Abbott ordered sweeps of camps under state highways and established a state-run campsite in Southeast Austin.
<p>Since then, the camps' residents have faced the COVID-19 pandemic and continued cleanups by both the Texas Department of Transportation and various city agencies.</p><p>Here's a look inside the camps. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3MDQ5MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMzkxNjAxMn0.rjNxgb2V3uKeZ8OAgJXqdzvZQJWv1PhutMGe1FQmcPw/img.jpg?width=980" id="96d84" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dc26aaca3780f106d6fb3ea33a6f6371" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Many homeless camps in Austin can be found underway highway overpasses, such as this one at I-35 and Montopolis. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjU5Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0NTY5OTcwOX0.kJS__GRPRe28AJt4nFQ0YuCt35GEpotSpuJ5opSIdPU/img.jpg?width=980" id="51570" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b1b37389f7952d293b68501d375cfb1c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Jordan Vonderhaar)
<p>John Volloy has lived at a South Austin homeless camp known as the Breezeway for three years and operates a bike workshop there. Although other camps nearby have water stations and trash bins, he prefers the Breezeway, which provides the cover of an overpass and decent water drainage. He has no plans to leave. "I'm going to stay no matter what," he told Austonia.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjU5OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzMTM3MDA4M30.Ylu5DHy-PNU34zFGcFrTFZxXAduCobuJ9x5LyOs7hJk/img.jpg?width=980" id="af61f" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="99b20337298e530cc2c28743b49842b6" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>A makeshift weapon made from a piece of broken glass sits on the ground at a Southeast Austin homeless camp. Most violent crimes involving a homeless suspect have a homeless victim, Austin Police Department Assistant Chief Joe Chacon said earlier this year. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3MDQ5My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzODkxOTU4MH0.-jhBtEkcI7qnzzZEMJdBxXg5wHxMzPzK-2bec5MpM0Q/img.jpg?width=1333&coordinates=0%2C238%2C0%2C238&height=1305" id="49407" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="23a1e72217a644ff4e6bbd6d54d0f52f" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Some residents complained about the drug use at the camps, and syringes like this one littered the ground at many. The Ending Community Homelessness Coalition lists lack of affordable healthcare as one of the main causes of homelessness, citing poorly managed substance use and mental health disorders as possible reasons someone may lose a job or housing. <strong></strong></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjU1MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MDk3MTkxM30.4wmLaohgz3f4X44GBWQz2r0vO5tJ609h_a8tN0g6v4A/img.jpg?width=980" id="b1474" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="01cc08c433bbbc1d33256b52835f7279" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />
(Jordan Vonderhaar)
<p>Numerous homeless residents said they get by salvaging items such as donated clothing or old bikes. Here, a resident sleeps in the middle of a makeshift bike workshop at the Breezeway.</p><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjYxNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNzQ1MjExNn0.J9ONGQVCBqT0yy0nx0VLlOXcM7hmcgr2N0PabK9UdBk/img.jpg?width=980" id="1b067" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="76b24a3a8d37b1a760a1daedc4fd0187" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>The state-run campsite spans across a seven-acre maintenance yard off of Hwy. 183 near Montopolis. Overhead, airplanes descend en route to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is nearby.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjY2MC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzOTk5MTE1NX0.YjO58Lfni6V0xoYin6iTl7Tq7FKKlWb07oTRstH7em8/img.jpg?width=980" id="3b457" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="90a39bfbb27235738a2bf93fb0a16de8" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>David, 58, moved to the state-run site in January, after spending two years "basically on vacation" in Mexico. Before that, he lost his job in the oil and gas industry. </p><p>His setup includes two tents, some turf, a grill station and a white picket fence. He inherited a Trump 2020 sign from one of his neighbors and got ahold of some Joe Biden toilet paper.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3MDUwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTk4MzIxM30.LQzUwqX0JVF1VULTVFLxebQHAeGBa40qsu1_koI9sNc/img.jpg?width=980" id="b856b" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3235ccc4fda07734d937b0841e230846" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>There are some vehicle bays near the entrance of the state-run homeless camp in Southeast Austin, which have since been repurposed into living quarters by its residents. Others live in tents, with no shade, toward the back of site. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjYwOS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MzY4NTE4M30.84p1YCS6SOMxmhXUUv86x46DODVD_TvkQm8xmpMD1WE/img.jpg?width=980" id="f71c5" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="cdc1360259a7eda5048be4545f472f8c" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Kimberley Piper has lived at a homeless camp across from the Westgate park-and-ride for about a month. She became homeless earlier this year, after more than a decade off the streets, when she moved out of her father's apartment nearby. She said he didn't think he needed a caretaker. <strong></strong></p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDc3MDQ4MS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MTU3MzI1NH0.Dz4Eibxyb9LOMNpiqr6NQCIuuP36Rju1-ob_ggsWAtQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="86e5a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="e05776737875802339f592f852c9889e" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Piper has two tents set up, as well as some homey touches, such as a small flower bed surrounded by rocks and a pet fish.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjYwNC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2NTM1MzkzN30.6EkIW8RQ19lQFqjn3V-PnD8SPD35B8bTEyV07O2oH78/img.jpg?width=980" id="18ffa" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="ddef7f10c7f87ed3b2b52aa062fccd00" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>According to some of the camp residents, they must keep their belongings inside their tents or risk losing them in a city or state cleanup. </p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjY2My9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY0ODg4Mzg0M30.JgTB76f6bO8IyrgM11iQSwvwrjLZBMCwpumtKGUsw_E/img.jpg?width=980" id="1a663" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dea4b7ceea77dd2c0731dcded46ae237" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>Robert has been homeless since 1984. He moved to the camp near the Terrazas Branch Library on East Riverside Drive about a year ago. CommUnity Care comes by each week to test residents for COVID-19.</p><p>None of the camp's residents have contracted the virus, he said.</p>
<img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDcwNjY2OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYwNjY3NjYyMX0.rYOOA9BXuJmsQrX39PYmAB8XT_YSgcRbDBS-EhXq9BQ/img.jpg?width=980" id="d977a" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="dec466b312d11e069d119eeeb0d8336a" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" /><p>At the Riverside camp, a resident strung the trees overhead with toilet paper. </p>
More on homelessness:
<h2><a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-population" target="_self">Austin's homeless camps face COVID and cleanups one year after governor's intervention</a></h2><img lazy-loadable="true" src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTkwMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYzNjQ1NzM5NH0.gu3t665mtF2IGSS1VcXTRTfjg7inMUi5Pc1R7TBMP7w/img.jpg?width=980" id="e3688" class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="96d12f50e34d7ad2b6064fba3938adde" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" />Austin’s homeless camps face COVID and cleanups one year after governor's intervention(Jordan Vonderhaar)
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(Jordan Vonderhaar)
Behind a white picket fence, David, 58, has made a home for himself.
There is turf on the ground, a grill station with sesame oil, a large "Trump 2020" sign and multiple tents.
"I probably have it better than anyone here," he said of the state-run campsite, off of Hwy. 183 near Montopolis, where he has lived since January.
<p>Tucked off the side of the frontage road, the site is long and narrow, with dozens of plots set up in rows. Some have a sandbag infrastructure, others are covered with tarps to provide privacy and shade. </p><p>Overhead, airplanes descend en route to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, which is nearby.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="b8cd7402b2aef519617dec45b0801fda" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="6a06f" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTA3Ni9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MjI3MTgyOX0.qWOBlOmQ3taJXYyeL1i7_RO6OqTlXQ-2ASjb9OYH2OM/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">David has lived at the state-run campsite in Southeast Austin since January.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Jordan Vonderhaar)</small></p><p>David, who didn't give his last name, said he arrived at the camp in January, after spending 11 months living at the Salvation Army shelter downtown. Before that, he was "basically vacationing" in Mexico for two years, after losing his job as an insulation supervisor in the oil and gas industry.<br/></p><p>Without a salary, and with a monthly child support payment of $2,780 to "little missy in Westlake," David said he couldn't afford housing—and doesn't expect he will be able to any time soon.</p><p>After maxing out his time in the shelter, David moved to the state-run campsite because of the 24-hour security provided by the Texas Department of Safety and FEMA. </p><p>"I don't talk to my neighbors," he said, adding that he disapproves of the drug use on site and has called the police a few times. "I have nothing in common with these people, other than being homeless." </p><p><strong>Local politics</strong> </p><p>In June 2019, Austin City Council rolled back three ordinances that had prohibited sitting, lying and camping in public places and nighttime panhandling. Advocates said the move was a crucial step in decriminalizing homelessness. </p><p>But many others—including local business owners, the Austin Police Association and residents—opposed the decision, which they argued did not address the root causes of homelessness and would threaten public health and safety.</p><p>With the camping ban overturned, Austin's homeless population <a href="https://www.texasmonthly.com/news/austin-brawl-homeless-population/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">became more visible</a>.</p><p>The point-in-time count, an annual census conducted by the Ending Community Homeless Coalition each January, found a 45% increase in the city's unsheltered population this year, which the organization attributed to increased volunteerism and better counting methods. </p><p>Texas Gov. Greg Abbott condemned city leadership on his personal Twitter account and <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/01/04/austin-mayor-calls-texas-gov-greg-abbotts-tweets-homeless-demonizing/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">shared misleading information</a> that he attributed to "Austin's policy of lawlessness." </p><p>He ordered the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct sweeps of homeless camps under state highways last October. The next month, the state opened its campsite on a seven-acre TxDOT maintenance yard, where David now lives.</p><p>When a series of violent crimes were committed by homeless residents early this year, including <a href="https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/multiple-people-reportedly-stabbed-in-south-austin" target="_blank">a fatal stabbing at a South Congress burrito restaurant</a>, Abbott blamed Austin's homelessness polices and ordered state police to increase patrols around downtown and the University of Texas campus.</p><p>Some local officials, including Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza, criticized Abbott's response <a href="https://twitter.com/DGarzaforD2/status/1213259785623265281" target="_blank">as politicized</a>.</p><p>Most violent crimes involving a homeless suspect have a homeless victim, Austin Police Department assistant chief Joe Chacon told City Council in February</p><p>"The correct message …. when we're looking at our violent crime incidents, especially in the downtown area, is that a small minority of them involve an individual experiencing homelessness," he said.</p><p><strong><span></span>P</strong><strong>olitical pawns</strong> </p><p>William Plumbley has lived in the homeless encampment across from the Central Market on South Lamar Boulevard—known as the Breezeway—for three-and-a-half years, longer than any of the current residents. </p><p>"The (decision to overturn the) camping ban was a really, really good step," he said. </p><p>Since the council vote, Plumbley said it is easier for him to make his home in the Breezeway, which he likes because the bridge overhead provides a "kind of semi-shelter."</p><p>Although he said the clean-ups, orchestrated by city departments, can be destructive, they help keep rats—and related issues, like a recent bacterial staph outbreak—at bay.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="f1da8c6ed909dd4895aaac42865dfd21" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="f545d" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTA3OC9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNDMwODI5OX0.t27s4OBOBP-4CI6eDGNE1CkCreyTSNSpYfnM8PqL330/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">William Plumbley sits outside his tent at the "Breezeway" homeless camp in Southeast Austin.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Jordan Vonderhaar)</small></p><p>But Plumbley does not appreciate the political back-and-forth set off by the council's decision.<br/></p><p>"It feels like the homeless population has been manipulated for political purposes," he said.</p><p>Plumbley's soft-spoken neighbor, John Volloy, has lived in the camp for three years, where he is known as the "Godfather" for his peacekeeping skills. He echoed Plumbley's assessment, saying that, once the governor got involved, drivers started honking, throwing bottles and yelling while passing the camp. </p><p>Still, Volloy has no plans to leave. There are water stations and <a href="https://austonia.com/homeless-storage-program" target="_self">violet-colored trash bins</a> that the city collects at other camps nearby. But he prefers the Breezeway, which provides the cover of an overpass and decent water drainage when it rains, which helps minimize mosquitoes. He also has plenty of space to operate his bike workshop, where he repairs salvaged frames. </p><p>"I'm going to stay no matter what," he said.</p><p><strong>COVID and cleanups</strong><br/></p><p>After the city overturned the camping ban and the governor's intervention, there was a lot of attention—from the media, business owners and residents—paid to how Austin would address homelessness. </p><p>But then the pandemic arrived, which led to shelters <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/05/24/texas-homeless-shelters-coronavirus-houston-austin-dallas/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">constricting their capacity</a> to prevent outbreaks and <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-problem-camp?share_id=5691110" target="_self">fewer cleanups</a> of homeless camps.</p><p>In addition to opening <a href="https://www.kvue.com/article/news/local/homeless/austin-homelessness-during-covid19-pandemic/269-cddd7c7c-b583-4ad5-a924-af7a3759ccdc" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">five ProLodges at area motels</a> for homeless residents needing to recuperate from COVID-19, the city of Austin also increased its distribution of <a href="http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/pio/document.cfm?id=338058" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">water stations, porta-potties</a> and <a href="https://austonia.com/homeless-storage-program?share_id=5734345" target="_self">other resources</a> to camps around town. </p><p>More recently, amid complaints from Austinites who live near some of the homeless camps, the city has resumed cleanups.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="7b4ba34bd2abd45e1d9d39abbc7eaaf9" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="abec5" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTEyMi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY2MzY1ODE5MX0.WqmjbUIyVwjA8uCAxSfbg1ottS2eKyHcAsZ_juSs8QU/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">A resident of a homeless encampment on East Riverside Drive strung up the trees with toilet paper. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Jordan Vonderhaar)</small></p><p>But many feel the city's response is inadequate. <br/></p><p>Nearly 20,000 people signed a petition <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homelessness-windsor-park" target="_self">circulated by the local nonprofit Save Austin Now</a> calling for the city to reinstate its ban on public camping. Although the Austin City Clerk ruled in August that the petition did not have enough signatures to be placed on the November ballot, it was not without support. </p><p>That same month, Kevin Ludlow, who lives in the Windsor Park neighborhood, began posting a series of video updates on the homeless camp that abuts his backyard and extends along Little Tannehill Branch Creek. After his first video, <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-homeless-problem-camp" target="_self">which he shared on Aug. 2</a>, garnered tens of thousands of views, the city sent a crew of workers to clean up the camp, but Ludlow said it was <a href="https://austonia.com/windsor-park-homeless-camp-returns" target="_self">a short-term fix</a> as homeless folks have started to reside in the same area once again. </p><p>This week, two Austin City Council members, <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-district-7-results" target="_self">District 6's Jimmy Flannigan</a> and <a href="https://austonia.com/district-10-austin-results" target="_self">District 10's Alison Alter</a>, faced re-election. Despite earning the most votes in their respective races, neither reached the 50% threshold required to avoid a runoff. Both will face conservative challengers whose platforms include reinstating the camping ban on Dec. 15.</p><p><strong>New normal</strong></p><p>Kimberley Piper lives at a camp across the street from the Westgate park-and-ride. She became homeless earlier this year, after more than a decade off the streets, when she moved out of her father's apartment nearby. She said he didn't think he needed a caretaker. Her father, John, was sitting on a pop-up chair nearby, visiting her for the morning. He said she needs to find public housing where she can live alone.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="53b5383c0e74a20c8a45b90f44c39c67" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="41ceb" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTEyNS9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTYxNTQ2MjIwOH0.a8R8q7-0PAbE2Wxp_94hr0kiLS6oXVVVMr2dIUhpgwc/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Kimberley Piper, who lives at an underpass camp near the Westgate park-and-ride, receives a visit from her father, John, who lives in an apartment nearby.</small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Jordan Vonderhaar)</small></p><p>Although Piper appreciates some of the newer amenities, including the water station and trash cans, she is distressed by the drug use, violence and more frequent cleanups. In the most recent sweep, which she said had occurred a week prior, the workers ruined the small flower garden she had planted near her two-tent campsite. A small circle of rocks and some fragile looking sprouts survived.</p><p>But for other members of the city's homeless population, not much has changed over the course of the last year, despite the pandemic and the policy changes.</p><p class="shortcode-media shortcode-media-rebelmouse-image">
<img class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="221d84c3b17f4465bfc4c207c4c29d6d" data-rm-shortcode-name="rebelmouse-image" id="0994e" type="lazy-image" data-runner-src="https://assets.rebelmouse.io/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJpbWFnZSI6Imh0dHBzOi8vYXNzZXRzLnJibC5tcy8yNDY4NTEyNi9vcmlnaW4uanBnIiwiZXhwaXJlc19hdCI6MTY1MTMyMDQ5Nn0.M5uuTbZ7HuX6yu-iKg6F4Au5RQdsk61wnIJEiyZ67qU/img.jpg?width=980"/>
<small class="image-media media-caption" placeholder="Add Photo Caption...">Robert has been homeless since the mid-1980s. </small><small class="image-media media-photo-credit" placeholder="Add Photo Credit...">(Jordan Vonderhaar)</small></p><p>Robert, who has lived at a camp near the Terrazas Branch library on East Cesar Chavez Street for about a year and been homeless since 1984, said none of the residents had contracted COVID.<br/></p><p>Some of his neighbors are waiting to be placed in public housing, but not Robert, who has no plans to move elsewhere.</p><p>"My body has adapted to everything that's come my way," he said. </p>
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This story was updated at 11:30 p.m. with the final election results.
With all votes tallied, Vanessa Fuentes won the race for the District 2 seat on Austin City Council, with 56.12% of votes.
<p>Opponents Casey Ramos and David Chincanchan earned 19.79% and 19.08% of the vote, respectively. A fourth candidate, Alex Strenger, dropped out and endorsed Ramos but still received 5% of votes.</p><p>"The early voting numbers show my campaign as winning without a runoff," Fuentes said <a href="https://www.facebook.com/100205694826096/videos/351196296141859" target="_blank">during a Facebook live at 9 p.m.</a> "This campaign has received more than twice—more than twice—the amount of votes of any candidate in this race.</p><p>The winner will replace District 2 Council Member Delia Garza, who will vacate her seat to serve as Travis County attorney. She won the Democratic primary for the position in July, and there is no Republican candidate.</p><p>District 2 is one of five of Austin City Council's 10 seats up for election this year. Council members will be tasked with <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-land-use-code-rewrite" target="_self">rewriting the city's land use code</a>, considering further cuts to <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-unanimously-passes-4-1b-budget-that-includes-5-percent-cut-to-police-budget-with-promises-for-more-reports" target="_self">the Austin Police Department's budget</a>, and—with voter approval of Proposition A—implementing the $7.1 billion <a href="https://austonia.com/austonia-guide-project-connect" target="_self">Project Connect transit plan</a>.<br/></p><p>Fuentes is a progressive Democrat and works for the American Heart Association. Raised in Southeast Austin and a graduate of UT-Austin, she focused on health equity and housing affordability during the campaign period. She does not support the land code rewrite process and <a href="https://www.statesman.com/opinion/20201006/endorsement-fuentes-leads-our-picks-for-austin-city-council" target="_blank">recently criticized</a> the lack of support in place after council overturned its ban on public camping.</p><p>Fuentes raised about $57,000 over the campaign period. </p><p>Chincanchan is the former chief of staff for District 3 Council Member Pio Renteria. Raised in the Southeast Austin neighborhood of Dove Springs, he ran on a platform of increasing affordable housing and investing in public transit initiatives. </p><p>Ramos, a native Southeast Austinite, is a former elite boxer and community activist. He helped found local nonprofits such as Community Not Commodity, which staunchly opposes the land use code rewrite process in Austin, and Dove Springs Proud, a private Christian civic group. Ramos raised less than $6,000.</p><p>Ramos does not support council's decision to overturn the ban on public camping, which <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-city-council-homeless/district-2" target="_self">he told Austonia</a> is a health and safety hazard. Instead, he supports investing in wrap-around services, such as housing and mental health care.</p><p>Chincanchan supports the land use code rewrite and council's June 2019 decision to lift a ban on public camping in Austin. "Criminalizing our unhoused neighbors is not just morally wrong, it is immensely counterproductive," he <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-city-council-homeless/district-2" target="_self">recently told Austonia</a>.</p><p>Chincanchan raised the most among the District 2 candidates, with around $97,000 in donations as of the latest round campaign finance reports.</p><p>Travis County saw record voter turnout this election, with 26,376 District 2 residents casting a ballot in this year's race, compared to 14,999 in 2016.</p>
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(City of Austin)
This story was updated at 11:30 p.m. with the final election results.
With all votes tallied, Austin Council Member Greg Casar has been reelected to his District 4 seat on Austin City Council, having received 66.85% of votes.
<p>Opponents Louis C. Herrin III and Ramesses II Setepenre earned 24.74% and 8.41% of the vote, respectively.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="4699a9a950e4c0503b0d8649e29d4228" id="091ca"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1323817311397183490"><div style="margin:1em 0">WE WON tonight!
Elections are not destinations, but doorways. We've proven that progressive policies change lives… https://t.co/1opBGUMTqY</div> — Gregorio Casar (@Gregorio Casar)<a href="https://twitter.com/GregCasar/statuses/1323817311397183490">1604457617.0</a></blockquote></div><p>District 4, which includes northeast and north central Austin, is one of five of Austin City Council's 10 seats up for election this year. In his next text, Casar will be tasked with the ongoing <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-land-use-code-rewrite" target="_self">rewrite of the city's land use code</a>, considering further cuts to <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-unanimously-passes-4-1b-budget-that-includes-5-percent-cut-to-police-budget-with-promises-for-more-reports" target="_self">the Austin Police Department's budget</a>, and—with voter approval of Proposition A—implementing the $7.1 billion <a href="https://austonia.com/austonia-guide-project-connect" target="_self">Project Connect transit plan</a>.<br/></p><p>As a council member, Casar has supported all of the above initiatives and been a force for progressive policies, championing a paid sick leave ordinance that was passed by council but later <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2020/06/05/texas-supreme-court-austin-sick-leave/" target="_blank">blocked by the Texas Supreme Court</a>. He also authored the "Freedom City" policies, which significantly curbed discretionary misdemeanor arrests.</p><p>Casar was also a vocal supporter of council's decision to overturn its camping ban, which he said was a critical step toward decriminalizing homelessness. </p><p>"We know it's wrong to throw someone in jail for doing nothing wrong other than simply being homeless," he recently told Austonia. </p><p>Casar outraised his opponents by a wide margin, with $134,000 in donations, according to the latest round of campaign finance reports.</p><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="77bc0fb393b6c736893cb132f88b8bf7" id="32800"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet twitter-custom-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1323684392229888003"><div style="margin:1em 0">THREAD: A look at Texas voter turnout by examining my district, the lowest income and most immigrant part of Austin… https://t.co/DQXeyCWDl0</div> — Gregorio Casar (@Gregorio Casar)<a href="https://twitter.com/GregCasar/statuses/1323684392229888003">1604425926.0</a></blockquote></div><p>Herrin is a long-time environmental engineer with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality who ran unsuccessfully against Casar in 2016 and 2014. He opposes the current council's push to reimagine public safety by reallocating police funds to other city services.<br/></p><p>Herrin is also against council's decision to overturn the camping ban, which <a href="https://austonia.com/austin-city-council-homeless/district-4" target="_self">he told Austonia</a> did nothing to address homelessness while making it less safe for people who work and live downtown. </p><p>Herrin raised around $30,000.</p><p>Setepenre is a licensed massage therapist. On <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RSfor4/" target="_blank">his campaign's Facebook page</a>, he describes himself as a "self-funded, gay eco-socialist" who supports sex workers, the decriminalization of drugs, universal healthcare and reparations. </p><p>In <a href="https://communityimpact.com/austin/central-austin/government/2020/09/23/in-austin-city-councils-district-4-candidates-discuss-addressing-homelessness-and-mental-health/" target="_blank">an interview with Community Impact Newspaper</a>, Setepenre said he has experienced homelessness and believes the city needs to address the origins of homelessness, such as substance use and lack of familial support. </p><p>Travis County saw record voter turnout this election, with 17,285 District 4 residents casting a ballot in this year's race, compared to 12,035 in 2016.</p>
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