City of Austin resumes cleanups of underpasses that have become makeshift homeless camps
File image of crews cleaning up a homeless camp under an Austin overpass. (CBS Austin)
Tents, carts and trash have piled up under Austin overpasses.
"This is an area that we need to make sure is clean and safe for all residents," said Kyle Carvell, Public Affairs Manager with Austin Public Works.
The underpass near Ben White Boulevard and Burleson Road is where some homeless people call home. The pandemic forced underpass cleanups to be put on hold for a few months. But today, crews were back at it, clearing multiple locations along I-35 and highways 183 and 290 of debris, this time with a new approach.
"The biggest change is probably the use of additional protective equipment," said Carvell. "Our staff and our contract crews wear masks, gloves, they keep the proper distance from each other and any community members that we're serving at these locations."
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The City of Austin resumes cleanups of underpasses that have become makeshift camps. This comes after a pause of several months due to coronavirus safety concerns.
But what hasn't changed Carvell says is the impact they realize this has on the homeless people living in these areas. The city works closely with Austin-Travis County EMS and Austin Public Health in addressing this population.
"We understand that this is a disruptive process for individuals, we don't characterize these as homeless camp cleanups," said Carvell. "These are underpass cleanups, this is the public right of way. We would need to be there to cleanup regardless if there were people living at these locations."
Moving forward, the city says its working to make its cleanups more effective through the Violet Bag Program, where homeless individuals are encouraged to gather garbage in the area ahead of city cleanups.