State agencies are moving in to clean up Austin, Texas after the capital city became a magnet for homeless vagrants, due to laws allowing people to camp out on the streets.
The project started on Monday morning as cleaning crews used leaf blowers and street sweepers to clear debris while they were guarded by state police.
Fox News sent a camera crew and reporter Aishah Hasine into Austin to investigate and ask questions to people on the ground.
“We saw… crews out and about escorted by state police cleaning up the trash out here, using leaf blowers and a street sweeper,” Hasine told the hosts of “Fox & Friends.” “The second part we believe will be to pack up the folks living here as the state steps in and frustration mounts, over how the city is handling this crisis.”
Residents complained of “tent cities” sprouting up near state highways and said homeless people have continually urinated and defecated in the streets.
Today is a day of action.
We began posting notices that TxDOT will clean up homeless camps under highways in Austin starting Monday.
Safety will improve soon.
The homeless will be offered options for shelter, food,
clothing & healthcare. #txlege https://t.co/ZwBahNWvep— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) October 29, 2019
Homelessness is up 5 percent from last year in Austin, as 2,255 individuals will experience homelessness in the city this year, according to the Austin/Travis County annual point count.
City leaders repealed a camping ban earlier this year and allowed people to sleep or camp in any public area. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott gave the city time to stem the crisis but has now sent in the Texas Department of Transportation to finish the job, with what he called, a “day of action.”
“Safety will improve soon,” the governor tweeted on Tuesday. “The homeless will be offered options for shelter, food, clothing & healthcare.” – READ MORE