{"id":52226,"date":"2025-07-09T20:02:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T20:02:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/52226\/"},"modified":"2025-07-09T20:02:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T20:02:09","slug":"mayor-whitmire-targets-homelessness-in-downtown-houston-with-new-ordinance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/52226\/","title":{"rendered":"Mayor Whitmire targets homelessness in downtown Houston with new ordinance"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 Houston leaders are working on changes to the city\u2019s civility ordinance as they try to balance compassion and public safety amid the ongoing homelessness crisis downtown.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Mayor John Whitmire says the ordinance is one way to help keep public spaces clean and safe, especially as downtown grows busier with events in places like the Theater District and near the George R. Brown Convention Center.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.click2houston.com\/news\/local\/2025\/05\/30\/2025-annual-study-on-houstons-homeless-population-set-to-be-released-in-june\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2025 annual study on Houston\u2019s homeless population set to be released in June<\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cIt\u2019s a tool being used by our neighborhoods as we have more residents downtown,\u201d Whitmire said. \u201cBut there is no doubt about it, a solution to the homeless conditions is a top priority. It\u2019s one of the reasons I listed to run for office.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Houston has made some progress moving people off the streets. <\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Since November 2024, at least 102 people have been connected to housing solutions through outreach efforts at spots like Allen\u2019s Landing, Bayou Place, Chartres Initiative and The Beacon programs.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Still, city officials say there\u2019s a long way to go.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Michael Nichols, Houston\u2019s Housing Director, says homelessness can\u2019t be solved with one single fix.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cHomelessness, as all of you know, is a complex issue that requires multiple tools to help people move off the street,\u201d Nichols said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The city plans to bring a $5.18 million proposal before City Council in the next two months. The six-part plan aims to help about 1,600 people through housing and shelter placements, mental health and behavioral health services, and administrative support.<\/p>\n<p>Plan presented to Houston City Council to deal with the city homeless issues. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Agencies like the Coalition for the Homeless, SEARCH Homeless Services, and Houston Recovery Center have been working alongside law enforcement to connect people to help rather than leave them on the streets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cIt ensures that when unhoused individuals are engaged by law enforcement, they are not only made aware of the ordinance but also prepared with a path to services and housing,\u201d Nichols said.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p>Tensions Around the Civility Ordinance<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Houston\u2019s civility ordinance sets rules about sitting, lying down, or leaving personal belongings in certain public spaces from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Larry Satterwhite, Houston\u2019s Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security, says those rules are meant to keep sidewalks open and safe for everyone.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThere are areas in the city that are really most impacted and communities that are most impacted by that,\u201d Satterwhite said. \u201cAnd because of that, even during our freeze, we saw people rolled up in less than a blanket on our streets, and we all see it every day if you\u2019re in the City of Houston, certainly in downtown.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">He calls homelessness on the streets a tragic problem that can quickly become life-threatening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cRight now, they don\u2019t know another life and they are resistant to the things that we are offering because they don\u2019t know that life and there is a lack of trust,\u201d Satterwhite said.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Many are dying on the streets each year, he added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cFrankly, a lot of people are dying every year on the streets in our city and across the nation due to street homelessness. We really want to correct this.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">City Council is considering expanding the civility ordinance to apply 24 hours a day in downtown and EaDo instead of only during daytime hours. Satterwhite says the goal isn\u2019t simply to move people along or push them into another neighborhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Officers working on homelessness issues are specially trained and follow a specific process: first offering services and help, then moving to enforcement only if people refuse. Satterwhite says arrests are rare, and people who violate the ordinance are often diverted to services rather than taken to jail unless they have other charges or warrants.<\/p>\n<p>Plan presented to Houston City Council to deal with the city homeless issues. (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Since the program began, 21 people have been arrested under the civility ordinance, according to Satterwhite. He said about 200 unsheltered people sleep on Houston streets each night, although the number fluctuates.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe do have adequate beds available to handle this downtown area,\u201d Nichols said. \u201cWe do not have adequate beds to handle the rest of the city.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">He also noted that while many people mean well by bringing food downtown, it sometimes leads to litter and sanitation problems. This would create an even playing field for all involved.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 kDvXdO font_openSans articleList\">\n<li class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__StackBase-sc-1fnzlkn-7 ecGWWE iQviKm\"\/><\/ul>\n<p>Funding and Future Steps<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Houston\u2019s efforts are said to be backed by philanthropic donations and disaster relief money, including $41 million from the Derecho and Beryl funds. Officials are also negotiating for a facility with more beds to help reduce strain on existing shelters.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Satterwhite says the real goal is helping people leave street life behind, not just enforcing laws.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThey can stay there. Everybody is entitled to walk on the public sidewalk as long as they are not interfering with anybody else\u2019s rights, and that\u2019s the whole point of the civility ordinance,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, it\u2019s not a \u2018you have to move.\u2019 It\u2019s a \u2018you can\u2019t do this \u2014 you have to get up, you have to pick your stuff up, you can\u2019t do those things.\u2019\u201d,<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">For now, city officials say the challenge is finding enough funding, beds, and staff to bring lasting change to Houston\u2019s homelessness crisis, while keeping public spaces safe and accessible for everyone.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Houston leaders are working on changes to the city\u2019s civility ordinance as they try to balance&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":52227,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[4345,38994,16844,358,3187],"class_list":{"0":"post-52226","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-houston","9":"tag-houston-homeless","10":"tag-investigates","11":"tag-texas","12":"tag-tx"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52226"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52226\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52227"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}