AUSTIN, TX – Austinites voted in favor of Prop B, which reinstates the camping ban downtown and in areas near downtown. The results were 57% for versus 43% against. Those who voted in favor said it was to help get Austin back to a “safer” city.
“If anything, this proposition is going to get the City of Austin to actually do something to address the issue for the safety of City of Austin residents and the safety of the unhoused homeless,” said Berenice Lara, an Austin resident who voted in favor of Prop-B.
With the reinstatement of the camping ban, it now makes it illegal to camp in certain places, sit or lie on public sidewalks, and panhandle at night. Austin City Council will vote to certify the votes and the ban will take place May 11th.
It is now in the city manager’s hands to figure out the details of an ordinance to actually enforce the ban, but Austin Mayor Steve Adler says he expects it to be enforced.
“What will end up happening is the city will have to certify the election, and then almost instantly after, it will then go into effect. It is not a difficult law to enforce because as we know, this is a reset of a previous policy, so it doesn’t require a lot of additional resources,” said Dr. Brian Smith, a political science professor at St. Edward’s University.
