Houston Chronicle reporter uncovers unique issue in battle over feeding homeless people downtown

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Eyewitness News has spent much of the last year reporting on the City of Houston's decision to continually cite a group known as Food Not Bombs for feeding the homeless outside of the city's downtown library.

ABC13 also reported when the same building was shuttered as a cooling center during last summer's oppressive heat.

And now, new details from ABC13's news partners at the Houston Chronicle have uncovered both decisions were the result of the city trying to keep the homeless population away from the area.

The reporter behind that story, R.A. Schuetz, even obtained an email written by then-Mayor Sylvester Turner that stated the city was "losing the library."

Here's where the history of this area makes things a little more interesting.

The library at the center of this is directly across the street from City Hall and Hermann Square.

George Hermann is the same man whose name is on Hermann Park and Memorial Hermann Hospital.

"George Hermann was a businessman in Houston who amassed a lot of real estate, and upon his death, he left a lot to the City of Houston," Schuetz said. "He left the land where City Hall is now."

That land includes Hermann Square, which is the park and reflecting pond in front of that building.

Schuetz said records show Hermann wanted that particular space to be used as a place where his drunk employees could go to sleep off their hangovers.

That's not a joke.

"In his will, he said he wanted that space to be a breathing space for Houston," she said. "And as early as the 30s, we can see newspaper clippings of a judge interpreting that as a place where homeless people could go to rest."

So what will the new administration do after the previous one tries to keep the homeless away from that general area?

A spokesperson from Mayor John Whitmire's office said he's not made a decision and will do so "at the right time."

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