Pilot program to clear Austin homeless camps that pose as risk to public, environment

Employees with the City of Austin have a new plan to clear out homeless camps.

They're going to focus on nine hotspots that they're calling a public safety and health issue.

Officials are creating a six-month pilot program that will focus on the nine hotspots. Several of them are right along Riverside Drive in South Austin.

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Leaders are targeting these areas because they are in culverts or near creeks, which can impact water quality and pose a risk to people living there.

Volunteers went out in January to count how many homeless people lived on Austin streets, saying it's a way to connect with those living outside.

The nine locations fall into three priority levels based on the risk each poses to human safety and the environment.

According to our partners at the Austin American-Statesman, some people will be given a 72-hour notice of the cleanup. Officials said they will try and find people emergency shelters in addition to long-term support.