Austin Homeless Free for All Ordinance

[Cajun 11780]

3 hours ago, Armybrat said:

My brother’s Renault 4CV caught on fire on the northbound frontage road between Woodward and Oltorf in 1960 as we were going home from St. Edward’s High School. There was nothing out there at the time except scrub oaks & some cedar.

What I imagined while reading this post -

[hayden_horn 11402]

looks like dps cleaned out the population under the mopac bridge at 2222. red tape notices on the bridge posts, and everyone gone

[Armybrat 41436]

Close, Cajun, but the 4CV was a real POS.

[MAUFRAIS 6745]

looks like dps cleaned out the population under the mopac bridge at 2222. red tape notices on the bridge posts, and everyone gone

Aw man I was working up the courage to ask that one hot bitch out.

[Cajun 11780]

9 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Close, Cajun, but the 4CV was a real POS.

I thought 4CV stood for "4horse covered vehicle".

My bad.

Edited February 6, 2020 by Cajun

[HornsOverIthaca 2339]

[FORTY NINE TO ZERO 2651]

My uncle has a couple of 2CVs. Lovely cars     

[clapclapclap 9000]

https://www.kxan.com/news/local/we-just-want-some-support-austin-business-owner-asks-city-leaders-to-be-more-proactive-in-addressing-homelessness/

Vince Young Steakhouse owner says Austin homelessness is at a ‘boiling point,’ asks city for solutions

 

Spoiler

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The owner of Vince Young Steakhouse says homelessness in Austin is reaching a boiling point.

Phillip Brown, also executive chef of the downtown restaurant, said he’s speaking out because incidents involving homeless in the city happening more frequently.

Brown shared on Twitter recently:

@MayorAdler @austintexasgov This is not where people should be camping – this is the alleyway of our business. Not only is this VERY unsafe for our guests, patrons and staff, this is not a safe space to camp out! Something must change! @ToddAndDonKLBJ pic.twitter.com/ezg6DvWTtL

— VinceYoungSteakhouse (@vysteakhouse) February 13, 2020

He told KXAN he took those pictures last week.

“Our biggest thing is this isn’t safe for anybody, and that includes the homeless population,” Brown explained.

He said problems started escalating about a year and a half ago.

“The first real major incident that I had was I had my head split open,” Brown said in an interview. “We had a guy, he was knocking over tables on our patio.”

When he called 911, he said the man believed to be homeless hit him in the head. He needed 13 stitches.

Then about six months ago, he found a man relieving himself in the parking lot.

When Brown asked him to leave, Brown said the man responded, “This is Austin. We can do whatever we want. You can’t tell me what to do. There’s nothing you or the police can do.”

Last month, a man was stabbed near the restaurant. Police said both the victim and suspect appeared to be homeless.

“That happened when a lot of our staff come in, and someone could’ve been arriving at that time, and who knows what could’ve happened,” Brown said.

“We know there’s no simple answers to this,” he added. “It’s a problem that requires time. It’s not going to be fixed overnight.”

Police presence in the downtown area

A few weeks ago, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley announced he’s increasing police presence downtown after a woman stabbed several people near Sixth Street.

• READ: ‘I stabbed 5 people’: Woman confesses to multiple downtown assaults, police say

Last summer, APD increased patrols downtown after a series of violent incidents, but as City Council Member Kathie Tovo explained, that ended a few months later.

“We’ve certainly heard safety concerns from businesses owners, residents and individuals who have worked downtown or are headed downtown,” Tovo told KXAN.

She explained: “One of the ways in which my office responded — I brought forward a budget measure during our last year’s budget to maintain officers in our downtown… but when the pilot ended those officers were removed.”

According to Tovo, the newly heightened police presence is expected to continue through South By Southwest, which takes place next month.

Over the weekend, Mayor Steve Adler told us, “As we become a bigger city, as we have more and more people mixing in our downtown area, maybe we just need to keep an increased presence indefinitely.”

Adler spoke with us after a vendor announced it was leaving a downtown farmer’s market. They pointed to threats and aggressive behavior involving people who are homeless.

Adler emphasized Austin remains one of the safest big cities in America and that you can’t automatically link people who are homeless to violent crimes.

He said over the phone Monday, “We have a challenge. We’re attacking it, not hiding it.”

When asked about keeping the increased police patrols downtown, Tovo responded, “What I’ve made clear to the [city] manager is that as soon as they have available information, I would like to understand the cost of providing the extra level of public safety presence that there are right now in downtown. I would like to understand what those costs are, so our council can have an understanding and a conversation, whether or not we should continue those in the long run.”

“That happened when a lot of our staff come in, and someone could’ve been arriving at that time, and who knows what could’ve happened,” Brown said.

“We know there’s no simple answers to this,” he added. “It’s a problem that requires time. It’s not going to be fixed overnight.”

Police presence in the downtown area

A few weeks ago, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley announced he’s increasing police presence downtown after a woman stabbed several people near Sixth Street.

• READ: ‘I stabbed 5 people’: Woman confesses to multiple downtown assaults, police say

Last summer, APD increased patrols downtown after a series of violent incidents, but as City Council Member Kathie Tovo explained, that ended a few months later.

“We’ve certainly heard safety concerns from businesses owners, residents and individuals who have worked downtown or are headed downtown,” Tovo told KXAN.

She explained: “One of the ways in which my office responded — I brought forward a budget measure during our last year’s budget to maintain officers in our downtown… but when the pilot ended those officers were removed.”

According to Tovo, the newly heightened police presence is expected to continue through South By Southwest, which takes place next month.

Over the weekend, Mayor Steve Adler told us, “As we become a bigger city, as we have more and more people mixing in our downtown area, maybe we just need to keep an increased presence indefinitely.”

Adler spoke with us after a vendor announced it was leaving a downtown farmer’s market. They pointed to threats and aggressive behavior involving people who are homeless.

Adler emphasized Austin remains one of the safest big cities in America and that you can’t automatically link people who are homeless to violent crimes.

He said over the phone Monday, “We have a challenge. We’re attacking it, not hiding it.”

When asked about keeping the increased police patrols downtown, Tovo responded, “What I’ve made clear to the [city] manager is that as soon as they have available information, I would like to understand the cost of providing the extra level of public safety presence that there are right now in downtown. I would like to understand what those costs are, so our council can have an understanding and a conversation, whether or not we should continue those in the long run.”

She explained, however, that individuals who are experiencing homelessness are not more likely to commit crime.

Meanwhile, Brown says that while there are definitely “more officers patrolling, and they do a phenomenal job, but they can’t be everywhere all the time.”

The Austin Police Association told us keeping a higher level of staffing downtown is possible by using overtime.

But the association president said the officers are overworked. Many are working more than 50 hours a week and some 76 hours a week. That’s the maximum amount allowed by law.

Focus on mental health and substance abuse help

Brown told KXAN he wants the city council to do more to fix the root problem of homelessness.

“I don’t think anybody starts out wanting to be homeless. There’s mental illness, substance abuse problems and those things have caused that,” he said.

Brown aid he knows it’s not going to be fixed overnight, but “as a business we’re the ones experiencing these problems on a day in and day out basis. We just want some support and feel that we are being cared about, that our opinion does matter.”

Meanwhile, Brown says that while there are definitely “more officers patrolling, and they do a phenomenal job, but they can’t be everywhere all the time.”

The Austin Police Association told us keeping a higher level of staffing downtown is possible by using overtime.

But the association president said the officers are overworked. Many are working more than 50 hours a week and some 76 hours a week. That’s the maximum amount allowed by law.

Focus on mental health and substance abuse help

Brown told KXAN he wants the city council to do more to fix the root problem of homelessness.

“I don’t think anybody starts out wanting to be homeless. There’s mental illness, substance abuse problems and those things have caused that,” he said.

Brown aid he knows it’s not going to be fixed overnight, but “as a business we’re the ones experiencing these problems on a day in and day out basis. We just want some support and feel that we are being cared about, that our opinion does matter.”

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by clapclapclap

[XYZ 2154]

In the “no shit, Sherlock” category, I usually pay attention to the driving and not the surroundings, but the other day I was a passenger in the Lamar/71 area and holy shit, there are tents all over the place.

[NeverMarryAStripper 22321]

There is a growing homeless tent encampment in Houston that I pass by everyday in my commute.  One day not long ago I noticed that one of the tents now has an above ground pool next to it.

[bschoolprof 6352]

46 minutes ago, clapclapclap said:

Then about six months ago, he found a man relieving himself in the parking lot.

When Brown asked him to leave, Brown said the man responded, “This is Austin. We can do whatever we want. You can’t tell me what to do. There’s nothing you or the police can do.”

Shocking.  

[texasdago 7772]

42 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

There is a growing homeless tent encampment in Houston that I pass by everyday in my commute.  One day not long ago I noticed that one of the tents now has an above ground pool next to it.

There's a big one at Richmond and 59 west of Monstrose and then a metropolis not far from BBVA Stadium.

[Js1 87281]

44 minutes ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

There is a growing homeless tent encampment in Houston that I pass by everyday in my commute.  One day not long ago I noticed that one of the tents now has an above ground pool next to it.

Just getting ready for summer. 

[Biff Tannen 46200]

There's one at 35 and Airport that is clearly not stable.  He was literally dancing in traffic the other day.  Most of them in that area are pretty chill, but this guy is off his rocker.  He's actually causing a traffic hazard.  Not sure how the cops haven't picked him up yet.

[Armybrat 41436]

On 2/9/2020 at 9:56 AM, Xian said:

My uncle has a couple of 2CVs. Lovely cars     

Condolences to your uncle. 
My brother had a 4CV.... it was a luxury ride compared to the 2.

[Armybrat 41436]

1 hour ago, bschoolprof said:

Shocking.  

Indecent exposure in the presence of a minor is a state felony.

[Texas_Rocks 347]

Indecent exposure in the presence of a minor is a state felony.

The enforcement of that law in Austin is dictated on whether or not the offender has money that can be extracted in some way. A homeless person showing their junk to a minor while relieving themself is just not worth it. No joke.

[TexanTraveling 42]

are we all in agreement that Austin kind of sucks today?

[hayden_horn 11402]

Quote

When Brown asked him to leave, Brown said the man responded, “This is Austin. We can do whatever we want. You can’t tell me what to do. There’s nothing you or the police can do.”

i do not believe any word of this particular quote in this article, but i have no doubt that the homeless presence in that area has adversely affected business down there. i know i don't have any desire to be within 8 city blocks of the arch.

[XYZ 2154]

2 hours ago, TexanTraveling said:

are we all in agreement that Austin kind of sucks today?

No, we are not.

[Message Board User 12409]

 

[FORTY NINE TO ZERO 2651]

5 hours ago, Armybrat said:

Condolences to your uncle. 
My brother had a 4CV.... it was a luxury ride compared to the 2.

Ha. He also owns a DS. Has a thing for weird French cars. 

 

[Steel Shank 9559]

Our city council is like that crazy, wacked out ex we all have in our past. Just fucked up beyond belief.

[TKthunder2 5060]

4 hours ago, TexanTraveling said:

are we all in agreement that Austin kind of sucks today?

Yeah this is just dumb.  The homeless problem isn’t good and needs to be addressed but Austin is still the best city in the state.

[TexanTraveling 42]

1 hour ago, TKthunder2 said:

Yeah this is just dumb.  The homeless problem isn’t good and needs to be addressed but Austin is still the best city in the state.

Dont agree. Sometimes you have to let a good thing go.

[UDontKnow 10572]

10 hours ago, NeverMarryAStripper said:

There is a growing homeless tent encampment in Houston that I pass by everyday in my commute.  One day not long ago I noticed that one of the tents now has an above ground pool next to it.

Under 59 and Main/Fannin area?

[tx 3 putt 78736]

9 hours ago, texasdago said:

then a metropolis not far from BBVA Stadium.

they started clearing that one up, fence going up 

[Incredulity 11880]

It is astounding how much stuff homeless camps have, not just the trash piled around them but stuff like couches, camping stoves, bicycles, buckets...

[Wally Pryor 5411]

15 hours ago, TexanTraveling said:

are we all in agreement that Austin kind of sucks today?

The people leading the city suck, exponentially.   While the city itself still has some nice things to offer the maniacal lunatics on the council are driving it into the toilet. 

[Biff Tannen 46200]

6 hours ago, Incredulity said:

It is astounding how much stuff homeless camps have, not just the trash piled around them but stuff like couches, camping stoves, bicycles, buckets...

I'm just amazed at how much STUFF they have.  Why?  I would think if I was homeless I wouldn't be collecting trash, but maybe I just don't get it.

[texasdago 7772]

6 hours ago, Incredulity said:

It is astounding how much stuff homeless camps have, not just the trash piled around them but stuff like couches, camping stoves, bicycles, buckets...

We were talking about that while looking at one little camp... extra lazy-boy chairs, plenty of shopping carts, etc.  Their like little apartments but spread out and surrounded by garbage

[Guest Lobo]

There's a mini homeless camp on the way into our neighborhood.  About 3 large tents and a bunch of debris and carts and shit.  Anyway, Nextdoor has been blowing up because it is close to our park and a little private elementary school that's at the front of our HOA.  They're technically on TXDoT land, not our private land.  TXDoT says they can't be there but they have no enforcement personnel.  So sure enough these homeless folks ripped the sidewall off the transformer box on Monday.  Not sure if they thought there was valuable copper in there, PCB's to make some kinda super drugs with, or what the fuck.  But I assume now TXDoT can send state police or something.  Plus these guys are shitting just yards from a water reclamation pond we have in our park.  So that's nice.  I'm staying out of it because I know if they kick these guys out, they'll move deeper into the woods in our neighborhood and I'd rather have 'em out by the main road where everybody can see them and watch what they're up to.  

Outstanding City of Austin leadership has the bond oversight folks skipping over all the homeless talk and well as continuing to obfuscate the numbers when it comes to the upcoming transit bond/rail project.  Instead, what's the focus shifting to...that's right...the number one thing on all your minds.  Not trains, not homeless....LIBRARIES!  

[Texas_Rocks 347]

I'm just amazed at how much STUFF they have.  Why?  I would think if I was homeless I wouldn't be collecting trash, but maybe I just don't get it.

Most of their shit is of course scavenged, but people are also taking advantage of the homeless situation by dropping off old furniture and etc. We’ve witnessed it happening twice in the last couple of weeks at the corner of Westgate and 71 while stopped at the traffic light. I’m pretty sure that a lot of their furniture and shit in the Y area comes from the back ally to the Goodwill on Wm. Cannon and 71.

[ZB'Tejas 597]

Drove out E Riverside earlier this week and the camp in the median as you get close to Pleasant Valley (what a misnomer) has gotten terrible. Are permanent camps now totally ok? And some of the tents surrounding the parking lots under I35 and 6th look permanent as well. I would be so mad if I parked there for work and had to leave after dark just to get to my car parked in a homeless encampment.

Are city parks going to be ok next? My tax dollars (or which these people pay nothing) pay for all that grass to be maintained and now we have filth living on it and destroying that those dollars were used for to beautify that area.

I live in East Austin and I guess it's totally ok over here but no one is allowed to camp under Mopac or along Exposition? 

[Deej 77864]

Once the SXSW visitors introduce the coronavirus into Austin, we should see the homeless numbers drop. 

[drt 647]

#keepaustinbeautiful used to be a thing.  they still have a website at https://keepaustinbeautiful.org/ but I can imagine it's more difficult to get volunteers to clean up an area being used as an encampment than when it's used as parkland or green space.

[Texas_Rocks 347]

Drove out E Riverside earlier this week and the camp in the median as you get close to Pleasant Valley (what a misnomer) has gotten terrible. Are permanent camps now totally ok? And some of the tents surrounding the parking lots under I35 and 6th look permanent as well. I would be so mad if I parked there for work and had to leave after dark just to get to my car parked in a homeless encampment.
Are city parks going to be ok next? My tax dollars (or which these people pay nothing) pay for all that grass to be maintained and now we have filth living on it and destroying that those dollars were used for to beautify that area.
I live in East Austin and I guess it's totally ok over here but no one is allowed to camp under Mopac or along Exposition? 

They’re here to stay unfortunately. More homeless = more government resources to grift off of. It’s a business now. Adler for instance is nothing more than a greedy sociopath. He and his commercial real estate swindling wife don’t give a single fuck about the homeless and the City of Austin. They’re getting the fuck out to greener pastures when his time in office expires.

[ZB'Tejas 597]

Has the city council come out and said anything about this take over? East Chesar Chavez is a huge mess too. House prices in those areas are going up fast but at what point does this impact that desirability and stagnate the tax base for the COA?

Would anything be done if people were camping in the median of Mopac now that we are going into wildflower season? Maybe sell some calendars of the homeless camping in the bluebonnets to raise money.

[Guest Lobo]

They can't camp on TXDot Right-of-Ways.  I know because one of the entrances to our neighborhood is just about two blocks off MoPac and sure as shit, there's a camp there.  

The Governor's Office is gonna start enforcing this shit though, given how many encampments are on/under/near state highways.  If the road gets a $1 from the state, they won't be able to camp there.  

And yes, I am 100% certain beyond a shadow of a doubt that Mayor Steve Adler is running a homeless/affordable housing grift.  Math don't lie, but he does.  I'll give Casar credit, he genuinely cares about the plight of the homeless.  He's just too fucking naive to see the con Adler is using him for.  I almost feel bad for him.  But then I looked at my latest property tax bill, so now...not.  I released some initial findings years ago before the '16 mobility bond to Texas Monthly.  The former founder and EIC of the publication used one of my quotes on a full-spread ad in the Statesman some time later.  He said there wasn't enough to warrant a story, but he personally took out space and ran an anti-bond campaign, because he has some kinda vendetta against Adler/Council from some other shit from way back when.  Anyway, I get a call from Adler's Chief of Staff who had broken off to run the pro-bond marketing campaign that got the '16 shitshow passed.  This kid had obviously never really been in a room with serious people.  He tried his damndest to threaten me but he couldn't figure out quite how to tell me to shut up and quit asking bond questions while telling me my life would be markedly more difficult if I didn't.  

I need to reach out to him because I'm gonna talk about the Homeless/Affordable Housing graft going on.  And then when Austinites find out how much of their property taxes go to pay debt service on projects that are 5+ years behind and/or will never get done at all...they may at least think twice before the 2020 Rail bond vote.  We sell so much fucking paper that we don't need to and we just pay and pay and pay interest for no fucking reason.  Because the Council and Mayor wanted bigger numbers.  It's beyond illegal what they're doing, but they keep doing it because of our credit rating and because the voters in this town are fucking morons.  

Edited February 19, 2020 by Lobo

[Wally Pryor 5411]

I'm guessing you'll see a lot of homeless cleanup, especially around downtown, say around March 11th or maybe a day earlier.      

 Do the math on this. 

[Texas Jeff 1999]

I live in East Austin and I guess it's totally ok over here but no one is allowed to camp under Mopac or along Exposition? 

I’ve seen tents between the railroad tracks and Mopac around Austin High. I also tried walking the shoal creek path from downtown to House Park and the smell under the bridges made me just go walk on the streets. Saw a few folks camping right near shoal creek.

So they’re there, but mostly hidden unless you go look.

[Gardner Barnes 1579]

I noticed they were cleaning up the tents on
Ben White East of Congress yesterday.

Perhaps the great sxsw purge has begun.

[Cajun 11780]

COA - "How dare you say even the slightest thing critical of the homeless!!!  You want to get them out of your sight because you have no soul!  Oh the HUMANITY!!!"

March rolls around and...

COA - "Alright, we need to get these fucking eyesores out of here?  No time to waste!  Chop chop!!!"

 

[crash_davis 23470]

My daughter is on UT campus two nights a week for practice.  After practice after 9pm, she has walk down San Jacinto along Waller Creek to the Brazos garage. Two weeks ago, two homeless dudes emerge from Waller Creek and start harassing her, saying shit like "Come down here with us. Hey girl, you shouldn't be walking by yourself." She started running to her car. Dudes didn't follow. They scared the ever living shit out of her. Living in close to UT campus, she is well aware of Haruka Weiser (may she RIP). I had to drive and pick her up for the few practices after. Now she and the other girls on her team all walk each other to their vehicles.

Yea, fuck the homeless. They get no sympathy from me. Some are honest people down on their luck, but most of the ones I see around town are all drugged out of their fucking minds.

[workswithseed 2204]

I mean the dude wasn't wrong, she probably shouldn't be walking by herself.

[crash_davis 23470]

Just now, workswithseed said:

I mean the dude wasn't wrong, she probably shouldn't be walking by herself.

Definitely, we should blame her!

[workswithseed 2204]

Just now, crash_davis said:

Definitely, we should blame her!

No, but if those creeps are out there it's safer with numbers. Does she carry?

[crash_davis 23470]

5 minutes ago, workswithseed said:

No, but if those creeps are out there it's safer with numbers. Does she carry?

She normally walks with friends and teammates. She had to rush home to study and left before her teammates. Sometimes situations prevent safety in numbers, no matter how vigilant they are. 

[Deej 77864]

Another homeless camp fire.

https://www.fox7austin.com/news/two-hospitalized-after-fire-at-southeast-austin-homeless-camp

[Guest Lobo]

This summer is gonna bring another half-dozen of these, I guarantee.  And the Austin fire chief will be pressured to hide the causes.  

We'll hear some shit like an old car with a catalytic converter backfired on dry grass.  

Edited February 20, 2020 by Lobo