Austin’s Unhoused Residents and Advocates Call for More Support

Advocacy groups want to see the city invest more in programs that prevent homelessness and provide resources to unhoused residents as a Supreme Court ruling opens the door for criminalization.

1 minute read

July 3, 2024, 8:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


View of Austin, Texas skyline with river in foreground during morning golden hour.

ATX Drone Pros / Adobe Stock

Unhoused residents of Austin, Texas and their advocates are calling on the city to increase funding for homelessness reduction programs in the wake of a troubling Supreme Court ruling that lets cities criminalize homelessness even when shelter is not available.

“It’s going to extremely decrease the quality of life. Homelessness is already hard,” said one resident in an article by Jahmal Kennedy for CBS Austin.

“It’s actually quite devastating if you think about it. So, we have got to surge our resources towards interdicting those people who become homeless,” said Save Austin Now founder Matt Mackowiak. “A major theme presented Tuesday that organizations wanted the city to keep in mind is that people who are homeless are family members and neighbors in the community.”

Tuesday, July 2, 2024 in CBS Austin

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