All week we have been tweeting about the importance of voting “no” on Prop B. In this blog, we are going to explain how the outcome of Prop B will affect the homeless population and take a look at what organizations are lobbying for the passing of Prop B.
What is Prop B?
If passed, Prop B would reinstate the Austin Governance that puts a camping ban in public areas. Prop B would ban camping anywhere that is not allowed by the Parks and Recreation Department. It would also ban sitting or laying down on public sidewalks. The Proposition would also ban panhandling from 7 pm to 7 am.
How did it come about?
This proposition came about because in 2019 Austin City Council revoked the governance that would ticket homeless people for the same reasons above, public camping, laying down, or panhandling.
Since 2019 the homeless population in Austin has been able to come out of the creeks, thickets, and woods that they otherwise had to hide in because their way of living was no longer a crime. Due to the homeless being able to be in freeway underpasses and median areas now, it seems like they have multiplied in numbers. However, it is more accurate to say that we can simply see how many of them there really are.
Before, when public camping was criminalized, the homeless would have to live in unsafe areas like creek beds and thickets and other areas not fit for human habitation. They would have to endure harmful animals like snakes encroaching on their living situations. For those living in dried out creek beds, they would have to worry about flash flooding and losing all their belongings
Who is behind Prop B
Save Austin Now is a Political Action Committee or PAC that was co-founded by Travis County Republican Party Chair Member Matt Mackowiak. He led a petition to reinstate the old rules that would criminalize homelessness and make it less visible. He is arguing that the homeless population leads to health and safety hazards and makes Austin “less safe”
Save Austin Now is arguing that the homeless make everyone less safe, which they have not factually proved. However, if this was the case, then Save Austin Now should be working towards ways that they can help house the homeless population or create more shelter space. Instead, they are only really interested in having the homeless population be out of sight out of mind so that they can have their peaceful lives back where they would not be faced with the stain on society that is the way we treat those who are less fortunate. Save Austin Now would rather treat the homeless population like outcasts instead of helping them.
Especially with the effect that the COVID-19 Pandemic has had on housing security and income, it is ever more apparent that anyone can become homeless.If we as a society in Austin are to ban public camping, we need to be prepared with a solution for safely housing them.
You can check your voting registration status here on the Texas Secretary of State website
Written By: Analisa
Edited By: Nick
Tags: Prop B, Austin, Texas, Homelessness, Social Justice