Unhoused Austin Population Spikes Under Reinstated Camping Ban

The Texas capital is struggling to house its unsheltered residents even as the city commits more resources to building and acquiring more affordable housing units.

2 minute read

September 12, 2022, 9:00 AM PDT

By Diana Ionescu @aworkoffiction


Encampment of unhoused people with tents and draped fabrics in Austin, Texas

Roschetzky Photography / Encampment in Austin, Texas

After the city reinstated a voter-supported public camping ban in May 2021, homelessness in Austin has gone up by around 20 percent, reports Lucy Tompkins in an article originally published in The Texas Tribune and republished by Next City.

As Tomkins notes, the city is making some efforts to address the affordable housing crisis. “The city has converted two former hotels into shelters that can house up to 130 people as encampments are cleared and has plans to add more than 1,000 more housing units in the next two years.” However, the slow pace of progress means many Austin residents still find themselves on the street, “shuffled from place to place” by police.

The ban on public sleeping comes after the same restriction was rescinded three years ago, but public outcry led to its reinstatement last year. “A political action committee called Save Austin Now gathered enough signatures to put a camping ban on the ballot, which Austin voters overwhelmingly approved by a 57% to 42% margin.” According to Tomkins, “The following month, Abbott also signed into law a statewide camping ban passed by the Legislature, with penalties for any city that failed to enforce it.”

Tomkins profiles Lt. Lawrence Davis, the police lieutenant tasked with leading the camping ban enforcement. Davis struggled with how to approach people in violation of the ban. “If we’re going to tell people to leave, then it just seemed reasonable that we should be able to tell people where to go,” said Davis, echoing the problem facing other cities. In 2017, Houston was forced to stop enforcing that city’s camping ban after a federal judge ruled that “enforcing the ordinance when people had nowhere else to go would violate their Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment.” Since then, the city has redoubled its efforts to end chronic homelessness.

The article outlines Austin’s inadequate housing programs, pointing out that “most people living on the street or in shelters have already been assessed for housing and are on a waiting list that averages about eight months.” Plans are in the works to create housing for an additional 3,000 people by the end of 2024 using American Rescue Plan Act funding, among other sources.

Thursday, September 8, 2022 in Next City

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Bird's eye view of manufactured home park.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing

Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

March 25, 2025 - Shelterforce

U-Haul truck on road with blurred grassy roadside in background.

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?

Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

March 27, 2025 - Alan Mallach

Rusty abandoned oil well and equipment with prickly pear cactus next to it in West Texas.

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage

Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

March 31, 2025 - Pennsylvania State University

Blue and white Amazon trucks parked at loading docks at warehouse.

Poorest NYC Neighborhoods Pay Price for Delivery Boom

The rise of ‘last-mile’ e-commerce warehouses — and their attendant truck traffic and air pollution — is disproportionately impacting the most historically disadvantaged parts of the city.

15 minutes ago - Inside Climate News

Aerial view of schoolyard in Oakland, California with newly planted trees, sports courts, and playground equipment.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds

With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

April 2 - FacilitiesNet

Power lines at golden hour with downtown Los Angeles in far background.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas

Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

April 2 - Los Angeles Times