Austin's homeless problem could force some downtown businesses to close early

Some Austin business owners say the homeless problem is now a homeless crisis. One downtown business owner says he may start closing early to keep employees and customers safe.

Everyday around lunch "Crow" stakes out a shady spot on Congress Avenue. The homeless man says he likes the heavy foot traffic in front of Royal Blue Grocery and he's not the only one.

“We're seeing a lot more homeless people in front of our store,” said Craig Staley, co-owner of Royal Blue Grocery which has six locations in the downtown area.

Staley says the increase in the number of homeless people is one recent change he's seen. But he's worried about another one. “We're seeing them stay permanently,” said Staley.

In June, the Austin City Council changed the homeless ordinances to allow sitting, lying and camping in more public spaces, including sidewalks. Staley says that's when one homeless man moved in. “All his belongings are right here up against our patio and we can't do anything about it. We can't. The police can't,” said Staley.

The patio on Congress Avenue was designed as a shady spot for tourists and locals to grab a quick meal. “Can you camp right next to a patio?” asked Staley.

He knows that right now the city's answer is yes. “They call Congress the Main Street of Texas and this is how we're treating it,” said Staley. “We've got to have some rules for these streets that are so important to our city.”

If the rules don't change the Congress Avenue store might start closing at 6 p.m. instead of midnight. Staley says the safety of employees and customers is the reason why.

“I'm a little bit more careful at night,” said David Epp. “That’s when I sometimes work overtime.”

This long-time customer of the Royal Blue Grocery can't believe Austin has put itself in this position. “It's sad to see that in a country as prosperous as America we can't figure out this problem and fix it,” said Epp.

Congress Avenue business owners are calling for a solution that benefits everyone. “It's definitely not an us against them situation,” said Staley. “We've got a crisis down here and we need some help.”