AUSTIN, Texas — Crews began clearing a large homeless encampment off East Oltorf Street near South Pleasant Valley Road on Friday, bringing relief to neighbors who say the site has been a persistent problem for years.
Residents in the area say the encampment, which sits on property owned by the Douglas Landing Apartments, has grown over the past decade and has been the source of ongoing safety and quality-of-life concerns.
“When I moved in 52 years ago, it was just woods,” said Margaret Garcia, who lives near the site. “It changed with the apartments that started building around us, and after that everything started going downhill.”…