AUSTIN, Texas — Many spent December in shorts and shirts with record-breaking highs across the Austin area. But this weekend we can expect freezing temperatures.
Michael Lloyd, who is experiencing homelessness, remembers what it was like to be out on the streets in February's freeze.
"I've never seen that or never experienced that before, and that was pretty scary," said Lloyd.
This weekend, he might have to endure something similar. A cold front is coming, with temperatures expected to drop to the teens and 20s.
"I wouldn't be prepared right now ... I have two sleeping bags that I don't even know if that's going to be good enough," said Lloyd.
Many find themselves in a similar situation. As shelters begin to fill up, Lloyd's options become slim. Especially now that the omicron COVID-19 variant is in the picture, many shelters are taking fewer people in.
His second-best option?
"The stairwells of parking garages ... even though they don't have windows, they're not even fully enclosed, but they actually kind of serve as a warm place," he said.
In the middle of it all, despite the camping ban, tent encampments have returned to the hike and bike trail downtown. However, because of the pandemic, the CDC recommends that cities avoid clearing out camps to help stop the spread of omicron.
For more information on resources for those experiencing homelessness in Austin, click here.
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