Homelessness has always been prevalent in the urban streets of Austin, Texas, and within the past few years this problem has massified. After a vote to allow the homeless to camp out all around the city, excluding city hall, passed in June of 2019, tent cities overran the city of Austin. Texas recently faced a record breaking winter storm, which efficiently iced the streets of Austin, leaving many without electricity and running water, leaving Austin residents chattering their teeth and the homeless population freezing. 

Four homeless persons were found frozen to death, and more were surely overlooked. Regardless of Austin’s lawful acceptance of their growing homeless population, these people are being ignored. Austin police have been seen raiding tent cities, arresting their citizens for small misdemeanors and throwing away their belongings. Local Austin hotels opened their doors to the homeless a few days before the winter storm, drawing a protest from Austin residents against the free residency of the homeless. 

Austin, which was once known for its vibrant music scene and liberal citizens is now looking more like Los Angeles, adopting its huge homeless population and its citizens’ tendency to ignore them.