New survey shows how many Houston-area people experienced temporary homelessness

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A new survey shows how many are experiencing a form of homelessness in the Houston area, and the numbers came as a reality check for those who help the homeless.

New numbers out this week came as a reality check for those who help the homeless.

"I was surprised at how many people had this happen over and over again within a year," Coalition for the Homeless of Houston and Harris County president, Kelly Young, said.

Young recently worked with Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice on a homeless survey. They discovered that 141,000 adults suffered temporary homelessness last year in the Houston area. Officials from the Coalition for the Homeless said 36,000 received homeless services last year, far below the number of those experiencing temporary homelessness.

"When those things happen, first we go to our friends and our family, or we try to solve it ourselves," Young explained. "We'll use up all of our savings. We'll try to find an extra job."

Experts believe local leaders have taken steps to help homelessness, including the hub east of downtown, which city leaders learned this week is at capacity less than six weeks after opening. To assist others experiencing temporary homelessness, experts said there needs to be more affordable housing and middle-class programs.

They also stressed that people need to make a plan before it's too late.

"The issue then becomes when you run out of all of those options, you're so close to the brink that it's very, very hard to access help at that moment," Young said.

Researchers also looked at what factors are impacting housing instability. They said the rising costs of goods are at the top.

They found that higher utility bills, property taxes, rent, and insurance are also making it difficult. Another factor they said was Hurricane Beryl, which hit two years ago and may have affected their home, food, and hotel bills.

"It takes time to get those things paid off," Kinder Institute for Urban Research's Houston Population Research Center director Daniel Potter said. "You still see some of that disaster recovery being pulled forward, putting pressure on people's budgets."

Researchers say that the issue is not just hitting Houston and Harris County. They found housing concerns in Fort Bend and Montgomery counties as well.

"This is a new challenge," Potter explained. "We've got new information. We've got new data, so how can we embrace this new challenge and do to it what we did to that earlier challenge around homelessness?"

Researchers hope that new figures will help tens of thousands of families around the Houston area stay in their homes.