Advocates Decry Criminalization Of Austin Homeless Population

AUSTIN, TX — Advocates for the homeless population in Austin had scheduled a Monday press conference to decry municipal efforts to "re-criminalize" the homeless in dealing with the problem of people living on the streets.

On Sunday, organizers of the "Homes Not Handcuffs" initiative announced a postponement of the press conference: "Because of conflicting events scheduled due to the cancelation of SXSW and the rapidly developing coronavirus emergency, we are postponing tomorrow's Homes Not Handcuffs press conference and will reschedule it in the near future," officials wrote in an emailed update.

Coalition members from several of Austin’s largest grassroots organizations — including the ACLU, Grassroots Leadership, Texas Appleseed, the Austin Lawyers Guild, University United Methodist Church, Front Steps, and the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance — had scheduled the gathering to voice their opposition to a petition calling for punitive action against the homeless in Austin, officials said in a press advisory. They are joined on a letter by over two dozen local, state and national service, religious, community, legal and advocacy organizations, organizers added

Those scheduled to attend represent a diverse coalition of Austin residents, leaders, and activists "...who choose hope over fear and want real solutions to homelessness, not ineffective and cruel criminalization," organizers said.

The petition, launched by newly formed Save Austin Now, seeks to put a measure on the November ballot"... to reinstate criminal bans on the homeless. The petition was launched by Travis County GOP Chair Matt Mackowiak, and had collected more than 96,000 signatures at last check.

Homeless advocates in the coalition categorized the efforts Save Austin Now is seeking to criminalize as tantamount to bans on "...life-sustaining activities such as camping-activities that are necessary in a town with limited shelter space and a rapidly dwindling supply of affordable housing."

Save Austin Now members have a decidedly different take, saying council's efforts to handle the issue has resulted in chaos: "Homeless people are camping on sidewalks downtown (in front of businesses), there have been several violent attacks, and they continue to camp in parks and on private property, believing that they either won’t be reported to police or police won’t remove them," Save Austin Now wrote on its online petition. "It is time to rescind this policy which is bad for tourism, the Austin economy, public safety and public health."

The emergence of the petition had the immediate effect of polarization as it relates to feelings about the homeless, yielding further divisiveness on an issue that has come into greater focus since council tried relaxing rules related to the homeless last summer. Austin City Council member Greg Casar decried the petition effort in painting it as counter-productive.

"If the Travis County GOP Chair wants to spend a lot of money, time, and energy on a hurtful campaign that will do nothing to decrease our homeless population, that’s certainly his choice," he said in a prepared statement. "But if Gov. Greg Abbott and the GOP Chair truly cared about public safety and public health in Austin, they would be working with the Austin City Council to provide housing and services to people experiencing homelessness. Unfortunately, it seems clear that they are committed to making matters worse."

For his part, Abbott has applauded the petition in endorsements of the effort buttressed on his Twitter feed.

The fissure has its roots to Austin City Council action last summer when local lawmakers sought to decriminalize the homeless by relaxing rules related to their behavior. One measure rescinded bans on lying or sitting on public sidewalks so long as no obstruction to pedestrians was created. A more overt council measure allowed homeless people to pitch tents in some public spaces — a move council later reined in by tweaking their own revamped rule when an abundance of tents popped up across the city at a level the mayor acknowledged had not been foreseen. To curb the practice, council tweaked their revamped ordinance to specify the areas where tents could be set up.

Council's actions raised the ire of Gov. Greg Abbott, who emerged as the most prominent critic of local officials' actions. Abbott voiced his displeasure on Twitter, and made good on a threat to dismantle tents under highway overpasses in displacing homeless people setting up temporary lodging in those areas. Abbott also makes a point to share news stories involving homeless people arrested by police for myriad reasons to emphasize what he perceives as homelessness run amok — with inferences the scourge is the result of council action.

Despite Abbott's assertions, police have said they've seen no marked spike in lawlessness among the homeless in the wake of council's relaxed rules. In a recent city council meeting, the assistant chief of the Austin Police Department, Joe Chacon, reiterated the assessment when questioned by Austin Steve Adler, suggesting a disconnect between the nature of crime and the role of public perception.

In response, Abbott was dismissive of the assertions of police — despite their presence on the front lines in dealing with homeless people: "Austin leaders can't fool you," the governor wrote on Twitter. "Unlike them you actually know about the stabbings, beatings, fights, urinating, defecating, nudity, & harassment of women and girls. They may play pretend, but I will work the the Legislature to restore order in Austin."

The governor's missives have helped galvanize those opposed to homelessness in the city, including the newly created Save Austin Now group calling for toughened measures against the marginalized population. Advocates for the homeless say the proposed ballot initiative has serious constitutional implications that could lead to inhumane arrests while failing to provide meaningful, long-term solutions to the housing crisis in Austin, officials explained.

Homes Not Handcuffs "adamantly opposes," the group said, preferring instead tactics meant to promote support for evidenced-based measures toward providing long-term supportive housing and mental health care to the city’s most vulnerable, officials said.

“This effort seeks to unfairly and unjustifiably subject the disproportionately black homeless population of Austin to a criminal justice system plagued by racist outcomes, repeating the same mistakes that have caused the mass incarceration crisis in this country," Sukyi McMahon, board chair & strategy director for Austin Justice Coalition, said in a prepared statement. "If we ever hope to stop leading the world in caging people, we have to stop using the criminal justice system to try and solve every social ill.”

Added Claudia Munoz, Acting Co-Director, Grassroots Leadership.: "Instead of investing more in the police, courts and jails to punish people experiencing homelessness, we should be investing in housing and housing first programs, job training and support services to actually help reduce homelessness.”

DETAILS

WHAT: Press Conference calling on the Austin community to oppose the petition to recriminalize homelessness.

WHEN: Monday, March 9, 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m.

WHERE: Federal Courthouse Steps, 501 West 5th St., Suite 1100.

WHO: Service, religious, community, legal and advocacy organizations, including:

● Texas ACLU.

● Grassroots Leadership.

● Texas Appleseed.

● The Austin Lawyers Guild.

● University United Methodist Church.

● Front Steps.

● Texas Harm Reduction Alliance.