TxDOT began removing property and debris from under Austin’s highways as the number of places Austin ordinances let homeless people camp dwindles.
Homeless in Texas
More than 25,000 Texans are homeless in a state whose officials frequently boast about a solid economy and an affordable housing market. The Texas Tribune is reporting on what urban leaders and state officials — including Gov. Greg Abbott — are doing for residents without homes.
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Texas Tribune 10th Anniversary
Tenth Talks: Watch four experts predict the future of Texas cities
In this edition of Tenth Talks, The Texas Tribune’s yearlong video series on the next 10 years of Texas, top leaders in housing, homelessness and transportation give Texas cities a decade’s worth of marching orders.
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Homeless in Texas
“They’re just pushing us away”: Austin residents talk about homeless life amid Gov. Abbott’s criticism of city ordinances
Homeless residents in the state’s capital took varied paths to end up without shelter. And some who have found homes still return to homeless encampments to check in on friends.
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Homeless in Texas
As Texas gets ready to clear some Austin highway encampments, Gov. Abbott and Mayor Adler at odds over homeless residents
The governor’s decision to force homeless people from under state overpasses drew the ire of city leaders and homelessness experts, who criticized Abbott’s “fear-based approach.”
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Homeless in Texas
Texas getting ready to move homeless residents camping beneath Austin highways
The Texas Department of Transportation began posting notices Tuesday letting homeless Austin residents know they must leave encampments under state overpasses by early next week.
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Homeless in Texas
Greg Abbott says TxDOT could remove homeless camps from Austin’s highway underpasses
The governor has vowed to use state resources to clear Austin’s homeless residents from public spaces since city officials began changing local ordinances dictating where people can and can’t camp.
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Homeless in Texas
Analysis: Governments don’t fix problems they don’t recognize
Governments respond to problems as policymakers see them. And sometimes — homelessness appears to be a case — the solutions only address what’s visible to politicians and their voters.
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Homeless in Texas
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to intervene in Austin’s “homelessness crisis”
Abbott’s office lamented reports of “violence, used needles, and feces littering the streets of Austin and endangering Texas residents.”
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Homeless in Texas
Greg Abbott said San Antonio could teach Austin how to help homeless people. Experts disagree.
The Texas governor’s comments came amid controversial changes to Austin’s ordinances, which many said criminalized homelessness. While San Antonio officials say they’ve reduced the visibility of people experiencing homelessness downtown, their overall numbers remain stagnant.
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Homeless in Texas
Why homelessness is going down in Houston but up in Dallas
Although the view on the streets might tell a different story, Houston decreased its homeless population by 54% since 2011, according to an annual census. In Dallas, the trend is the opposite — and housing affordability might make the problem even worse.
