“Drug activity and criminal behavior facilitated by this organization have hijacked an entire neighborhood,” Paxton said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. “By operating a taxpayer-funded drug paraphernalia giveaway next to an elementary school, this organization is threatening students’ health and safety and unjustly worsening daily life for every single resident of the neighborhood. We will shut this unlawful nuisance behavior down.”
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against one of the largest homeless navigation centers in Austin, claiming that it has become a “public nuisance” and a “magnet” for drug use and criminal activity.
According to The Austin-American Statesman, the Attorney General’s Office is seeking a temporary injunction against Sunrise Community Church’s Homeless Navigation Center. If a court were to improve the injunction, the center would be forced to close until litigation has been resolved—and, if Paxton succeeds in proving his claims, permanently.
“Drug activity and criminal behavior facilitated by this organization have hijacked an entire neighborhood,” Paxton said in a press release announcing the lawsuit. “By operating a taxpayer-funded drug paraphernalia giveaway next to an elementary school, this organization is threatening students’ health and safety and unjustly worsening daily life for every single resident of the neighborhood. We will shut this unlawful nuisance behavior down.”
Sunrise Community Church’s Homeless Navigation Center, notes the Statesman, has begun to attract increased scrutiny. Local residents have complained of broadly unsafe and unsanitary conditions surrounding the center, with needles, human feces, and trash found now found in abundance.
Mark Hilbelink, the center’s executive director, said that Sunrise will defend itself from Paxton’s lawsuit. Hilbelink also suggested that Sunrise is shielded from liability under numerous state and federal laws, including the U.S. Religious Land Use Act and the federal Institutionalized Persons Act.
“These laws have been tested in court on multiple occasions, always with the same result: churches are protected to do work that is an expression of their religious practice,” he said, opining that it is “regrettable” that Paxton would file a lawsuit against a homeless navigation center shortly before Thanksgiving.
The Austin-American Statesman notes that Sunrise’s facility is not a homeless shelter. However, it still provides a wide range of services to the homeless, such as free meals, showers, and computer access. Last week, Sunrise announced the establishment of a new hotline that would help Austin’s homeless population find more stable housing options.
“Sunrise is one of the strongest leaders in the Austin community at bringing innovative, low-barrier, and smart solutions to issues that have been difficult to address in homeless services for years,” Hilbelink said shortly after the hotline service was announced.
KXAN News reports that local officials have indicated that, although they have tried to work with Sunrise in the past, they are not “surprised” that the state decided to file a lawsuit.
“I think we’ve all known that the location of Sunrise is not ideal, and certainly there is activity around there that is really difficult for the neighborhood,” Austin Council Member Ryan Alter said in a statement. “It’s something that I’ve been working on for… well, since the moment I got into office, to try to help alleviate the pressure in that neighborhood and we’re actually making some real progress.”
“So I understand where the lawsuit came from,” he said.
Alter said that, among other changes and proposals, he has enacted a budget amendment that would authorize alternate locations across Austin for homeless people seeking walk-up services.
The amendment was approved, but will take time to fully implement.
“So real progress is being made,” Alter said, “but I understand where the community is. We’re looking for action right now.”
Sources
Paxton sues Austin church that is largest provider of homeless services in Travis County
Texas attorney general files lawsuit against homeless navigation center in south Austin
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sues nonprofit that serves homeless in South Austin
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