Why does Austin metro have so many homeless / pandhandlers (camp, place to live)

[Need4Camaro]

I've just been trying to figure out why theres so many of them and what happened. Were they natives that got priced out while prices here increased?

Not complaining or anything, I feel kind of bad for those people.

[centralaustinite]

warm weather, non-punative policies, etc. Same as it ever was, if anything I think there were more homeless per capita 30 years ago when I arrived than there are now.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I've just been trying to figure out why theres so many of them and what happened. Were they natives that got priced out while prices here increased?

Not complaining or anything, I feel kind of bad for those people.

No guarantee that the panhandlers ARE homeless. You could certainly have a place to live and still stand on the roadside asking for money.

[WhatTheFox]

Well ... who wouldn't want to live in the "best" city in USA?

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

No guarantee that the panhandlers ARE homeless. You could certainly have a place to live and still stand on the roadside asking for money.

Yeah definitely no guarantee but it does seem to be alot of them.

[ashbeeigh]

Just read this article on homelessness, which referenced a 5% increase in the numbers of homelessness. https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...aign=statesman

[ATX Wahine]

I saw an enormous camp in a rural wooded area just off 183 while coming in on approach at AUS a couple weeks ago. It’s big, and it’s widely strewn with garbage. I wonder who owns that land and if they’re aware they have a rogue village springing up.

[ScoPro]

Specifically where off 183?

[verybadgnome]

The homeless situation may get worse - think skid row in LA - if a group of city council members have their way.

https://www.statesman.com/news/20190...-homeless-laws

Hard to believe they are even contemplating this:
"Fully repeal the city’s panhandling ordinance, which bans soliciting money downtown between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. as well as making physical contact or using obscene language while panhandling."

If a panhandler tries to make physical contact with me then certainly I have the right to return the favor.

[ATX Wahine]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

Specifically where off 183?

I couldn’t say for sure; I was flying overhead and had very few seconds to take it in. Spotted it in the rear corner of a large ag field near a grove of trees on the east side (I think) of 183.