AUSTIN (KXAN) — After the city of Austin launched a homeless encampment cleanup surge last week, we now have the data on how the first week went.
According to a memo sent to city council and mayoral staff, the first week of that effort resulted in the following:
- 332 people engaged during outreach
- 51 people connected to shelter
- 33 people connected to other resources including health support
- Five “large operational zones fully cleared, containing 57 individual sites”
- More than 275,000 pounds of debris removed
- 24 citations issued and 11 arrests made
“These outcomes reflect the coordinated and compassionate approach guiding this initiative.Outreach teams continue to engage directly with individuals ahead of cleanups to provideinformation, offer shelter and services, and address barriers to housing whenever possible,” the memo from David Gray, Director of Austin Homeless Strategies and Operations, said.
State effort running parallel to city’s
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced that the state started an operation targeting homeless encampments in the city of Austin roughly a week and a half ago.
The governor’s office said the operation is being led by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) with help from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), the Texas State Guard and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).
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