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Austin City officials on Monday announced the locations of two city-owned lots to be used as sanctioned homeless camps.
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The city announced the potential locations on Monday evening, nearly three weeks after city officials reported that after reviewing 78 city-owned lots, only two were potentially useful for opening warehouses. The addresses of these two locations were not published at the time.
In a memo to Austin city council members Monday, two city officials charged with site review – homeless strategy officer Dianna Gray and park and recreation director Kimberly McNeeley – said the two locations are attractive in that respect as they are close to public transport and can accommodate toilets and toilets showers.
Both lots are held for the potential development of affordable housing and could be used temporarily as storage bays until that development occurs, Gray and McNeeley said.
Both locations would use pre-built structures – not tents – and would be manned by security guards at all times. They would also be fenced in, according to the city,
The Manor Road site is south of Mueller Parish and west of the Morris Williams Golf Course. It’s about three acres.
The Convict Hill site is east of Mopac and close to several residential areas. It’s in Councilor Paige Ellis’s ward.
In a written statement, Ellis did not comment on the proposed location.
“As campsites are being pulled away from the streets and under highways, we also want to make sure they aren’t relocated to public parks. Given this need, the city manager identified two temporary locations that might be suitable for a small village with micro-accommodation (no tents). One location is in District 8 and is being reviewed for proximity to workplaces, food and transportation, “Ellis said.
More:Dozens of people moved to a city-owned hotel after the second Austin homeless camp was cleared
Should the locations continue to be considered, there is an opportunity to get feedback through community meetings and surveys and speak at city council meetings.
Manor Road is in the district of Councilor Natasha Harper-Madison. In a Facebook post, she said the two sites were only recommended at the time and that a final decision has not been made yet.
“To be very clear, we are still a long way from making a final decision on either location,” she wrote.
Harper-Madison continued, “As I said earlier, reintroducing the camping ban will not help against homelessness. Instead of turning a blind eye to the thousands of Austinites who live unprotected on our streets, we have to find solutions that lead to stability, treatment and housing, housing, housing. Whether temporary sanctioned campsites are one of these solutions remains to be determined. I look forward to a deeper discussion of these proposed locations with our city officials and with my colleagues, and expect nothing short of a robust effort to get all of our concerned voters on board before we make decisions about how to proceed. “
More:The Austin program serves 1 million meals for the homeless
Exploration of the city’s owned land began in early May after voters approved the return of the city’s camping ban. In response, the city council directed city officials to investigate the feasibility of sanctioned legal housing camps.
An initial review of the city’s own locations revealed 45 possibilities, including the Manor Road location and a location on Convict Hill that was different from the one published on Monday. The inclusion of 18 parks caused an uproar among local residents and councilors and resulted in a broader search with additional criteria.
Gray and McNeeley are expected to provide a briefing on the two locations at a city council working session on July 27th.
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