Questions about security ahead of FIFA World Cup in Houston
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Monday marks exactly one month until the World Cup begins, and crews are rushing to finish building Houston's FIFA Fan Festival grounds in East Downtown near Shell Energy Stadium.
Just a few blocks away, what elected officials are calling a superhub for the homeless is going up.
"'Do people get moved?' Yes. 'Do they get moved in the humane way, which means straight to services, treatment, and recovery or temporary housing?' That's the outcome that we want," Minal Patel Davis, the Chief Human Rights Officer for the Houston FIFA World Cup 2026 host committee, said. "If they're just getting moved and shuffled to beautify the city, that is not what we want."
Officials with the Harris Center for Mental Health said the facility on Emancipation Avenue will hold 222 beds.
It's scheduled to partially open late this month or early June, just in time for the World Cup.
Houston's homeless population was up slightly from 2024 to 2025. The latest numbers from the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County showed, on a typical night, there were more than 3000 homeless people in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties.
"Moving for services and using this event to catalyze additional services, additional funding, is a phenomenal thing," Davis said. "What we don't want to be accused of is social cleansing."
Local authorities say extra officers will be on patrol in June and July, but they wouldn't say how many or where they would be.
METRO Houston has announced expanded bus, rail, and park-and-ride services.
The chairwoman said Monday that more than 400 volunteers will be helping travelers.
METRO received a $9 million federal grant to help offset costs, but the chief acknowledged on Monday that overtime costs will add up.
"Quite frankly, I don't have the number for you right now, but I know we will cover everything we can in the interest of protecting our community and visitors coming to our city," METRO Police Chief Ban Tien said.
