Mayor John Whitmire addresses plan to tackle homelessness issue in Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Three weeks after Mayor John Whitmire mentioned during city council that there would be a city-sponsored encampment, he announced a new strategy to get every single person who was experiencing homelessness off the streets of Houston and reclaim public spaces.
In a Thursday press conference, the mayor said he assembled a team tasked with raising approximately $70 million per year from various sources, including government entities and donors.
Kris Larson, president and CEO of Central Houston, said their board voted to fund $1 million of the mayor's plan. Houston City Council will begin discussing a proposed $25 million contribution at next week's meeting.
Mike Nichols, the city's housing director, said this funding stream is meant to be more sustainable than before, allowing for consistent and reliable resources and services for Houston's homeless population.
The money will be used to fund outreach, rapid rehousing, permanent supportive housing diversion, the Houston Navigation Center, and shelter support.
"That is a huge difference. In the past, we have relied on federal funds. They are hard to use, they're unstable, and they go up and down," said Nichols.
Whitmire said the city-sponsored encampment that ABC13 asked him about in October has been scrapped. Instead, he announced a partnership with the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD, as well as law enforcement to remove individuals experiencing homelessness from the streets and place them into housing.
RELATED: Details about upcoming city-sponsored homeless encampment remain a mystery
He said they plan on taking up the Supreme Courts ruling that allows cities to ban people from camping or sleeping in public places. ABC13 asked Whitmire what will happen to people who refuse assistance. He insists they will use a compassionate, but firm approach.
"We're going to insist that they do, and we have a tool that we can use: a firm discussion. You cannot live on the streets of Houston. It's not safe, and the public doesn't want you there," Whitmire said. "If they're violating the law, we'll charge them with violating the law. I don't think it's going to come to that. I think they'll see how serious I am about people not living on the streets."
Nichols said it's more expensive to incarcerate an individual than to help them transition into permanent housing.
"It costs about $23,500 to house somebody in their own apartment, with a subsidy for their rent and professional case management. Putting them in jail is more than $40,000 a year per person. So, it's fiscally and morally responsible to help them get housing," Nichols explained.
Not everyone is optimistic about the mayor's new plan. ABC13 spoke to a man in downtown Houston who said he knows what it's like to live on the streets.
"Put somebody on this team who's been homeless if you want to be technical about it. Don't put anybody who has never struggled. Find somebody who's been in the housing," Hodari Williams said.
Whitmire said their initial focus will be to free up more beds and get the personnel to oversee them. As far as the timeline, he said this is not something that will happen overnight. It will take years for the city to see significant changes.
