Global Courant 2023-05-07 06:57:07
An Austin, Texas property owner is begging the city for help in response to a homeless camp he says is negatively impacting his life and business to the point where he may have to pack up and leave.
Pedro Morales, owner of a building in Austin’s South Lamar neighborhood, told Fox 7 Austin this week that a homeless camp showed up in a narrow area near his building, complete with bedding, shelves, kitchen items and a laptop.
Morales explained to the outlet that the encampment started with just one person but then started to grow and he says he was trashed and even found an ankle bracelet lying around.
“Eventually it’s just going to be overwhelming, and it’s going to cost us business, and it’s going to cost us money, and it’s going to cost us time,” Morales said.
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Pedro Morales says a homeless camp in an alley near his property continues to grow (Fox 7 Austin)
Morales said he called the city and police and got a lackluster answer. Police removed someone from the property on May 5, Morales says, but the person soon tried to come back.
“There is absolutely no accountability. I have to clean up someone else’s mess. The city created this mess. I didn’t make that mess between my buildings,” explains Morales.
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Pedro Morales speaks to Fox 7 Austin about the homeless camp next to his property in South Lamar (Fox 7 Austin)
“The way the city has gradually moved towards tolerance has caused this. I want to be tolerant, but you can’t influence my business. I can’t allow that. I will be tolerant to some degree. Once we start really losing business, it makes no sense. We won’t be living in Austin anymore. Simple as that.”
Fox News Digital reached out to the City of Austin for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
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An aerial view shows the downtown skyline on April 11, 2023 in Austin, Texas. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)
It was recently estimated that just under 5,000 people are currently living on the streets in Austin, an increase since 2021. Austin Monitor reported.
Andrew Mark Miller is a writer at Fox News. Find him on Twitter @andymarkmiller and email tips to [email protected].
