\u201cWe lose hundreds of people every year on the streets,\u201d Satterwhite said. \u201cThey die under bridges. They die on sidewalks. They die rolled up in blankets and clothing and in their own human waste after three or four weeks without ever having changed. Right now our sidewalks are our waiting room because we need more beds and we need more investment.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe simple fact is, what we allow, we encourage,\u201d he said. \u201cWe have to do things differently if we want to solve the problem. It takes courage because we\u2019re saying we need to do things differently. If we don\u2019t start making some changes, we have some that their way off the street will be on a gurney.\u201d<\/p>\n
This isn\u2019t an enforcement effort; it\u2019s a humanitarian effort, Satterwhite explained. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to get in front of them, build that relationship, tell them we have help, we have offers of hope, and we can get them there, but also hold the line because we have to be accountable,\u201d he said. \u201cOtherwise, some will never take our help because they don\u2019t trust and they\u2019re much more comfortable in the life that they have as opposed to stepping out there and taking the chance on something better.”<\/p>\n
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Houston Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security Larry Satterwhite, who previously served as acting HPD chief, is leading the effort to house the homeless and connect them with resources.<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n \n The program is funded with about $40 million in federal disaster recovery funds, and the city is seeking donations from private philanthropy groups. Houston currently has about 3,300 homeless people, according to a 2024 count by the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston\/Harris County<\/a>. The nonprofit counted 8,400 homeless people in 2011.<\/p>\n “We have reduced homelessness in Houston by over 60 percent,” said Council Member Abbie Kamin. “What we are doing is working and we still have a ways to go. To say we’re not doing something or the model we have isn’t working is a false narrative. Do we need more? Absolutely.”<\/p>\n Mayor John Whitmire campaigned on a promise to eliminate homelessness in Houston, and the pressure to do so is mounting as the city plans to host about 500,000 tourists for the FIFA World Cup next year. Aside from having the appearance of a clean and orderly city for guests, Houston has the best interests of the unhoused at heart, the mayor said earlier this month. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know why the people who question it would support the status quo when you leave here daily and see the sick, particularly the mentally ill, living under bridges and in our parks,\u201d Whitmire said. \u201cThere\u2019s a plan. No one is going to be taken off the streets unless there\u2019s a bed and a plan to get them mental health services.\u201d <\/p>\n In response to concerns about patrol officers\u2019 training to deal with persons in mental health crisis, Whitmire said the city is partnering with The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD<\/a>. <\/p>\n The City Council voted 14-2 to expand the civility ordinance on July 16. Council members Tarsha Jackson and Kamin voted against it. Kamin said she was concerned that the ordinance would outlive those who crafted and adopted it, and future city leaders may not have the same intent as the current panel. <\/p>\n The council will revisit the ordinance in six months, at which time recommendations can be made on further amendments and enforcement. <\/p>\n \u201cIf we think there\u2019s been police overreaching, we can address that,\u201d said Councilman Julian Martinez. \u201cI don\u2019t think anyone wants to criminalize homelessness.\u201d<\/p>\n Council members unanimously agreed that the ordinance would encourage, but not require, the presence of mental health professionals and officers with special training in crisis response prior to enforcement. <\/p>\n Satterwhite\u2019s team is moving at the speed of the available resources, the director said. Outreach officers have on hand the number of jail diversion beds and restricted and unrestricted hospital beds when they approach homeless people on the streets The city’s housing department, in partnership with local nonprofits, is focused on providing<\/a> transitional beds, services and a path to permanent housing. <\/p>\n \u201cThis is clearly not about incarcerating people,\u201d said Housing and Community Development Director Mike Nichols. \u201cSadly we have too many people who are already incarcerated who are homeless, and that\u2019s a huge cost. It\u2019s about a very definitive way to help people with their issues.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cYour public wants this,\u201d Nichols told the City Council. \u201cThey want it citywide.\u201d <\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/chief_satterwhite.png\")
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