Samantha “Sunshine” Conley was homeless before Austin rolled back its citywide camping ban in 2019. She was homeless for the brief interim that the repeal lasted, and—if nothing changes soon—she’ll still be homeless when the police begin arresting the city’s unhoused for camping again. Over the years, she’s pitched a tent all over the city, sometimes in the open and sometimes hiding in the woods. Now, she’s joined a different sort of camp: A protest occupation of some 50 tents lining the perimeter of Austin City Hall since early this month.
Conley, 34, recalls how the policy shifts played out on the streets. Before summer 2019—when the city council decided to allow camping in a number of areas including highway underpasses—she stayed in hidden crannies of the city. After the policy change, it became safe to pitch a tent under I-35 near downtown, where the overpass offers rain protection and visibility is high. “Since we’ve been more out in the open, they’ve housed more people; when you see us, you’re forced to help,” she said last Tuesday on the City Hall steps.
