Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that he is filing a lawsuit seeking to shut down Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center (SHNC) in South Austin, which operates within meters of Joslin Elementary School. However, he claimed that it was promoting corruption and drug use.
SHNC's business is magnet The complaint says crimes, drug abuse and indecent behavior have taken place, posing a threat to both local residents and Joslyn's children. This allegedly includes urinating or defecating in public. Paxton said the violence occurred in and around the elementary school.
According to testimony from residents, people who frequent SHNC use machetes to threaten people. Paxton's office said incidents of masturbation in public and trespassing at nearby homes and businesses have also occurred. The lawsuit accuses SHNC of facilitating the alleged acts by distributing drug paraphernalia.
“The drug activity and criminal activity promoted by this organization has taken over entire neighborhoods.” paxton said on tuesday press release. “This organization threatens the health and safety of students and disproportionately worsens the daily lives of individual neighborhood residents by operating taxpayer-funded free distributions of drug paraphernalia next to elementary schools. We will shut down this illegal nuisance.” (Related: Dallas may have just passed illegal voting measure, Texas AG claims)
Attorney General Ken Paxton has accused Austin's taxpayer-funded Homeless Navigation Center of facilitating public drug use and violent incidents next to an elementary school. https://t.co/IxFGQY5K1Z
— Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) November 26, 2024
August 2024, City of Austin approved A 14-month grant of up to $1,083,530 to SHNC. The grant had options for four one-year extensions for a total of $4,417,650. The goal of this grant was to enable SHNC to provide digital information to the homeless through a telephone hotline and information website. Notably, one of the criteria for the loan was the applicant's assessment of “cultural competency/racial equity,” another example from the city. emphasize Race-based standards.
SHNC covered local news in 2022 after shelter became The location is the site of Texas' first Narcan vending machine, according to the Austin Chronicle. Naloxone, or Narcan, is a drug used to treat opioid overdose. It was delivered Via a syringe or nasal spray. SHNC also hosts the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance. defined mission About ending the drug war.
Today is Overdose Awareness Day. At THRA, we fight every day to end the overdose crisis through harm reduction services, education, and advocacy. We demand an end to the punitive measures used to address this crisis. #NoMoreDrugWar pic.twitter.com/RgNZTlFvZP
— Texas Harm Reduction Alliance (@TexasHRA) August 31, 2024
Paxton's lawsuit alleges that THRA provides SHNC with syringes that it calls “sterile harm reduction supplies.” According to the complaint, a THRA mobile van hands out these syringes every Thursday during school hours across the street from Joslin Elementary School.
According to the complaint, the residents allege that SHNC homeless people have set up a meth lab in the vacant home. News reports said a used syringe was soon discovered at the school. According to the complaint, numerous police reports reveal that officers frequently arrest SHNC personnel in possession of drugs.
SHNC sent a press release to the Daily Caller in response to a request for comment.
“While we are disappointed that Attorney General Paxton has taken this path, especially during the week of Thanksgiving, Sunrise remains committed to serving those in need in our community,” said SHNC Executive Director Mark Hilberink. ” he said. “We are committed to being good neighbors. We will continue to work every day to support Joslin Elementary School, our neighborhood, and our entire community.”
