75 unhoused residents, 30 dogs relocated from homeless encampment along Violet Crown Trail

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On June 20, the Gaines Creek Greenbelt encampment was formally declared closed, and a work zone has been designated while an extensive cleanup process is underway.

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin and partners have closed the Gaines Creek Greenbelt area encampment near the Violet Crown Trail in Southwest Austin.

A total of 75 unhoused residents and about 30 pets were relocated from the encampment to the City-owned Northbridge shelter as part of the Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative last week.

HEAL carries out the closures of homeless encampments that pose the highest public health and safety risks.

Those living in the encampments are being voluntarily transferred to city bridge shelters, where they are then enrolled in longer-term housing programs, says the city of Austin. (City of Austin)

The Gaines Creek Greenbelt area encampment operation required coordinated communication with nearby community stakeholders. Preparation for the closure included doubling capacity at the City’s Northbridge Shelter to accommodate additional HEAL program participants. People experiencing homelessness on site were offered transfer to shelter, and connection to housing resources.

On June 20, the encampment was formally declared closed, and a work zone has been designated while an extensive cleanup process is underway. The clean-up effort, which is expected to take several weeks, is being organized by the Parks and Recreation Department with substantial support from Austin Resource Recovery, the Austin Police Department, and a private contractor.

Over 2,300 people experiencing homelessness in Austin, ECHO says

This year, the population was spread out with the largest concentration of homeless people in the downtown area and South Austin seeing the largest increase.

Following conclusion of cleanup operations, the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department will install perimeter fencing to deter future unlawful camping within the sensitive endangered migratory songbird habitat.

The site is now subject to immediate public camping ordinance enforcement and the Austin Police Department will conduct periodic patrols.

Since HEAL began in June 2021, 546 people have voluntarily moved from high-risk encampments to the City’s Southbridge and Northbridge shelters. Successful sheltering and resolution of the Gaines Creek area encampment was a collaborative effort.

To learn more about homelessness in Austin, click here.