A homeless camp in an unused state vehicle maintenance yard in Southeast Austin has been growing for months. Beginning with fewer than a dozen people occupying tents and re-purposed storage units, it’s now home to more than 140.
It’s called Camp R.A.T.T., for Responsible Adults Transition Town, and its days might be numbered – leaving many residents anxious and confused.
The camp opened under the orders of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who has waged a longstanding political war with the City of Austin. Abbott said the city wasn’t managing its homeless population effectively. He offered the state-owned property, miles from downtown and out of sight of almost everyone, as part of a solution.