The Riverside Meadows community in southeast Austin has been experiencing an uptick in crime, which residents link to the opening of the Marshalling Yard emergency homeless shelter nearby. The shelter, intended as a temporary measure to assist the city’s homeless population, now operates indefinitely due to a continuing shortage of shelters, based on information provided by CBS Austin. Locals have reported instances of burglary, vandalism, and trespassing that they feel correlates with the facility's presence.
One resident, Candice Carpenter, expressed her discomfort with the situation, saying, "It's exhausting, and I do not feel safe, really." Carpenter told Headtopics that a recent burglary in her backyard, which included theft of a generator and a bike, has added to her concerns. The Riverside Meadows Homeowners Association has echoed these sentiments, with Sonia Rivera highlighting an increase in neighborhood theft and the presence of people sleeping in private yards.
City Council member Jose Velasquez has acknowledged the complexities involved in addressing the issue. "We're always trying to balance safety with the most compassionate approach to handling our unhoused neighbors," Velasquez said in a statement obtained by CBS Austin. He emphasized the city's dedication to finding both homes and stability for those experiencing homelessness, despite the challenges that proximity of services poses to local neighborhoods.
The shelter, which opened in July of last year, was only expected to be a temporary solution. However, the council voted to continue its operation due to the city’s critical bed shortage for the homeless. Carpenter argues for the need of an equilibrium, stating, "I want them to have somewhere to sleep that's not outside, right? But the problem is, they are just dumped off into our neighborhood." This comment underscores the tension between compassion for the homeless and the right of residents to safety and security in their own community.
Amid demands from residents for increased patrols and better transportation options for shelter occupants, Velasquez suggests the issue requires cooperative problem-solving. He said to CBS Austin, "If we're having issues in the neighborhood with crime, that is very different than having issues with the Marshall yard just being there. And we want to ensure that we are drawing a distinction between those two things." With no immediate alternative to the shelter, he cautions that finding solutions may take time, even though the community feels that they have waited long enough for action.
