Austin’s fall did not begin with the pandemic, the lockdowns, or the riots. It began with Mayor Steve Adler and the city council, all Democrats, voting to allow homeless people to camp out all over town (except city hall). That happened in June 2019. Within mere days, as police were no longer allowed to curb or control homeless camping, tent cities appeared all over town. They appeared under overpasses and on sidewalks, and in this case, on a watershed slope between a nice neighborhood and a creek.
Hat tip to Kane