THE MOST EXPENSIVE LIBRARY IN TEXAS IS COMPLETELY OVERRUN WITH THE HOMELESS
Austin’s Central Public Library, which cost $125 million to build, is now completely overrun with the homeless.
This library, which has been featured in TIME magazine, was supposed to be a welcoming space for children and Austin residents. Instead, it has become so unsafe that police officers are permanently stationed there due to the level of violence, harassment, and threats that patrons face.
In 2021, the Austin City Council passed an open camping ordinance. Even though Austin residents later voted to reverse it. This is the result of Austin’s soft-on-crime policies and library staff refusing to enforce their own rules.
Just a few months ago, a 62-year-old man was punched in the head and left with life-altering brain injuries after being attacked by a homeless man inside the library. Last year, another patron was shot in the 6th-floor bathroom by a homeless man who had been allowed into the building.
The six-story, 200,000+ square foot facility features an art gallery, rooftop garden, café, and event space. Yet because it is a public building, it is now overrun by homeless individuals on every floor.