A series of videos posted on Twitter by Austin activist Jamie Hammonds has shed light on the extensive damage caused to Austin, Texas’ West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt by a homeless encampment. The videos depict the encampment covered in trash, including liquor bottles, needles, Narcan, and other refuse, stretching as far as the eye can see.
Hammonds expressed shock at the devastation, describing it as “as bad if not worse” than another greenbelt, Violet Crown, which was also damaged by a homeless encampment earlier this year. He told Fox News Digital that the smell of the encampment was noticeable even before entering the greenbelt.
Violet Crown Trail
Gains Creek Greenbelt.
It's destroyed. It will never be the same.
Absolutely the worst encampment in Austin.
There are cars, trailers, mountains of garbage, needles, human waste and hundreds of homeless. pic.twitter.com/wA5RoOsIVG
— DASH (@DocumentingATX) June 7, 2023
West Bouldin Creek Greenbelt is a cherished location in Austin, listed in local guidebooks as one of the city’s highlights. Hammonds lamented that the place would “never be the same” and predicted that despite cleanup efforts, hazardous materials like glass and batteries would linger.
Fire under control. Crews mopping up multiple spot fires from flying embers. Fire appears to have originated in a camp site. @Austin_Police and TXDOT HERO onscene assisting with traffic control. pic.twitter.com/azVopuTy7y
— Austin Fire Info (@AustinFireInfo) September 7, 2023
In mid-August, approximately 72 inhabitants of the encampment and their pets were relocated to the city-owned Southbridge shelter as part of Austin’s Housing-Focused Encampment Assistance Link (HEAL) Initiative. The city initiates the closure of homeless encampments that pose significant public health and safety risks.
Cleanup efforts in West Bouldin Creek are currently underway, involving multiple departments and expected to last from a few weeks to several months. This marks the second time in under two years that the city has relocated inhabitants of the encampment due to concerns about public safety.
The city of Austin says it is committed to addressing homelessness through a “multifaceted approach,” allocating funds for housing stabilization, prevention, crisis response, and public space management. They have also invested over $100 million from the American Rescue Plan Act funds into various homeless services and system improvements.
Austin Council Member José “Chito” Vela championed the importance of mental health and substance use treatment as part of a comprehensive homelessness prevention system, emphasizing that these services help keep at-risk individuals sheltered.
