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LOCAL NEWS
TuesdayFebruary92010



x39
RV park for the homeless gets green light from city
4/10/2008 4:20 PM
By: Heidi Zhou

Hidden in the brush near East Austin's Harold Court, a hillside of scattered tents reminds Antonio Carmona of the life he left three years ago.

Supporters said they hope the RV park for the homeless becomes a model for the rest of the nation to follow.  
"It was a disaster because you can't really sleep," Carmona said. "You don't know who's going to come in your camp."

After a decision by Austin City Council, this makeshift camp for the homeless where Carmona once lived, will get an official title and a drastic upgrade.

Carmona led a homeless life until Austin's Mobile Loaves & Fishes offered him a hand and a home. The charity works to do the same for many other homeless people, by turning the area near Harold Court into an RV park for people who want to get off the streets.

Austin City Council unanimously voted to lease 10.6 acres on Harold Court to the charity.

"I think it would be more effective for a community to be able to have a nurturing environment where they're all living, where there's manageability and accountability," Mobile Loaves & Fishes President Alan Graham said.

This makeshift camp for the homeless will get an official title and a drastic upgrade.  
Graham said he plans to have 150 people living in 100 RVs and 50 cabins. They could start moving in as early as Thanksgiving.

But, people who already live on Harold Court said the council has neglected to adequately inform and engage the community about the decision. They objected again during the council meeting.

"I have three children and they play outside," Greg Blackman said. "Am I going to have to build a fence and lock it?" .

 WATCH THE VIDEO
More Information
RV Park for the Homeless

News 8 Austin's Heidi Zhou tells us why the city voted Thursday to create an RV park for people who want to get off the streets. News 8 Austin's Heidi Zhou tells us why the city supported the idea.



Blackman's house is one of only four that share the block with the future RV park.

"I talked to each neighbor and they feel defeated already," Blackman said.

Council member Mike Martinez disagreed. His house is less than a mile from the site.

"I was thrilled it was in my neighborhood. I knew there would, inevitably, be folks from my own neighborhood who wouldn't support it," Martinez said. "But I wouldn't have championed it if I didn't think it was a good thing."

The RV park for the homeless is the first of its kind in the country.

Supporters said they hope it becomes a model for the rest of the nation to follow.



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