City relocates 63 people from encampments across Austin

The city of Austin has reported closing four encampments throughout the city and “welcomed 63 unhoused residents to the Northbridge and Southbridge shelters as part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative.” Neighbors along the Barton Creek Greenbelt in particular had been clamoring for weeks for the city to clean up that encampment that they believed might lead to wildfires threatening their homes. Residents of encampments along Williamson Creek East, the Indian Grass Prairie and North Walnut Creek were also offered access to shelter and connections to housing resources. Homeless Strategy Officer David Gray said in a news release, “Transitioning from encampments into shelter signifies a significant step towards stability, support, and access to resources and care. The cleanup of four encampments reflects our commitment to ensuring a safer community.” Departments working closely with the HEAL intervention included the Parks and Recreation Department and the Austin Police Department, as well as the Austin Area Urban League. The city noted, “City Council approved the HEAL Initiative in February 2021. The HEAL Initiative is one element of the City’s broader effort to address homelessness and return public spaces to their intended uses. Since HEAL began in June of 2021, over 835 individuals have moved from high-risk encampments to the City’s Northbridge and Southbridge shelters.”