Many Americans think that homelessness is a problem confined to coastal states, but the issue is becoming prominent in Texas as well. Since 2017, the number of people in the state living outside—the “unsheltered homeless”—has increased by 50 percent. About 10,500 Texans now live, and all too often die, on the streets. One reason why: many Texas cities have condoned, or even encouraged, street camping and sleeping.
Voters from both parties find this unacceptable. A large, bipartisan majority of Austin residents reinstated the city’s camping and sleeping ban last month. The Texas legislature just passed a statewide ban on camping with overwhelming majorities.
Most homeless advocates oppose camping bans. They argue that the government should provide every homeless person with permanent housing before forcing anyone off the streets. But the evidence shows that there’s no reason to delay: camping bans improve the lives of the homeless by helping them find the shelters and services they need.
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