A resident of Austin, Texas, who has been documenting the city’s homelessness crisis, shared a video Wednesday showing a green space destroyed by a homeless encampment.
South Austin’s Barton Creek Greenbelt is located along Barton Creek and connects to Barton Springs Pool, a popular area frequented by city residents.
Austin’s Barton Creek Greenbelt. (dash)
Jamie Hammond, who uploads videos under the account “Austin Streets and Homelessness Documentation,” said the green belt is “really deteriorating.” He said trash and debris from the encampment, including waste and needles, is falling into Barton Creek, which flows toward Barton Springs.
“If this doesn’t upset people, nothing will,” Hammond said in a video as he toured the wreckage. “Insanity”
Last month, Hammond partnered with the group Nomadik to develop an AI interactive map documenting the city’s homelessness crisis.The location is clearly depicted on the map homeless encampment They are concentrated throughout the city.
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A wildfire broke out at the same encampment on Thursday.
The Austin Fire Department said it was responding to a brush alert in a green area near the 4000 block of S Capital, “near the former Toys R Us.”
AFD later announced that the fire was “extinguished” in the green zone. Crews continued to extinguish the fire and perform recovery efforts.
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City officials told Fox News Digital that relief efforts are underway at the encampment and a cleanup is planned in the coming weeks.
