Austin’s Watershed Protection Department today began cleaning homeless encampments that impact the watershed, starting with two sites on Riverside Drive.
In a news release the department said it is “trying to approach the cleanups with as much empathy and consideration as possible,” providing 72-hours of notice and setting up a followup process to allow persons to retrieve impounded personal property.
“The department is working with community partners to engage those living in encampments and provide them with social services on an ongoing basis between scheduled cleanups.”
Camps near creeks and stormwater infrastructure are “not safe,” the deparment said: “Both the residents of the camps and first responders may be placed in harm’s way in the event of a flood. Staff will be discussing the flood risks at these locations with encampment residents.”
Even without a flood, litter and trash may make their way into creeks and lakes, polluting the waterways, the department said.
Today’s cleanup falls under an authorization by the City Council in December for the expenditure of $250,000 over the course of the year for watershed protection.
Between March and September 2019, the Watershed Department tested a standardized process for managing encampments on protected land. During this period the city conducted 37 cleanups across nine sites and removed 27 tons of material at a cost of $61,000.
The news release says that during these cleanups “Watershed Protection staff met with many people experiencing homelessness, [providing] staff with a new level of respect for the individuals facing such an incredible personal challenge.”
