A $48 million initiative to address homelessness across the Houston region was announced at Houston City Hall on Wednesday, October 7, KPRC Click2Houston reported. Private philanthropists have committed $34 million of that total so far.
Mayor John Whitmire gave the opening remarks. Kelly Young, chief executive of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, presented the plan. The report describes the effort as funded entirely by private philanthropy and does not say where the remaining money is expected to come from.
What the initiative involves
Organizers say what sets the effort apart from earlier ones is flexible funding and a self-imposed 90 day deadline to get people facing homelessness into housing. Young described re-entry support for people leaving jail, hospital discharge planning, and a network of community hubs built on services that already exist. The funding is to be spread across multiple resources rather than a single program.
The partners named are the City of Houston, Harris County, the Coalition for the Homeless, Downtown Houston+, the Greater Houston Partnership, and the Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. No council vote was reported in connection with the announcement.
The city’s 419 Emancipation facility has served 423 individuals since it opened in late May.
Kingwood is inside Houston city limits, which makes city homelessness policy and the services the city funds a local matter here.
