{"id":71264,"date":"2025-07-18T00:28:09","date_gmt":"2025-07-18T00:28:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/71264\/"},"modified":"2025-07-18T00:28:09","modified_gmt":"2025-07-18T00:28:09","slug":"advocates-and-officials-voice-concerns-over-implementation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/71264\/","title":{"rendered":"Advocates and officials voice concerns over implementation"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\"><strong>HOUSTON<\/strong> \u2013 Less than 24 hours after Houston\u2019s City Council voted to expand its civility ordinance, the decision is already sparking debate across the city.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The newly amended ordinance bans sitting, sleeping, or storing personal items on sidewalks in both Downtown and East Downtown \u2014 at all hours. Additionally, for the first time, crisis intervention teams will now be part of the response to individuals experiencing mental health crises.<\/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\">While city officials say the move is aimed at improving public safety and offering more support for vulnerable populations, advocates and some council members believe the city may be moving too quickly \u2014 without adequate resources in place.<\/p>\n<p><b>\u201cWe need a plan\u201d<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">George Steed, who was homeless for 11 years before starting New Life Resort, a nonprofit supporting unhoused individuals, believes the ordinance could lead to positive change \u2014 but only if it\u2019s implemented with the right support.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cThis move by the mayor is going to force some change, and I think it\u2019ll probably be good in the long run,\u201d Steed said. \u201cBut we need a plan to go with this ordinance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">He emphasized the importance of including community outreach groups in the process, noting that displaced individuals will likely migrate to other parts of the city, potentially increasing pressure on already-strained areas.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cRather than force citations and make our jail systems worse than they already are,\u201d Steed added, \u201cwe should be working with organizations designed to address these issues.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>City Council votes 14-2 \u2014 but not without opposition<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">The ordinance passed by a strong majority \u2014 14 to 2 \u2014 but not without concern. Councilwoman Abbie Kamin, who voted no, said she supports long-term solutions but believes this move is premature.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe need the beds first,\u201d Kamin stated. \u201cWe\u2019re facing hundreds of millions of dollars in mental health cuts at the federal and state level.\u201d<\/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\">She also questioned whether Houston\u2019s police and emergency services have the capacity to handle the additional responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe ask police to do too much,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd this will, I believe, further strain our systems.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Kamin warned that calls to report unhoused individuals under the new ordinance could lead to more police involvement and potential citations \u2014 which may escalate to warrants or even felonies, creating new barriers to housing and recovery.<\/p>\n<p><b>Training and coordination are key<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">Both Kamin and Steed agreed that while expanding crisis response teams is a step forward, comprehensive training is critical.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe are now expanding this operation to include Metro PD, constables, and others who may not be as deeply trained in working with the unhoused as HPD officers,\u201d Kamin explained.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">\u201cWe need more training,\u201d Steed echoed. \u201cCompassion, management, and treatment need to be at the forefront of this approach.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>What comes next?<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\"dist__Box-sc-1fnzlkn-0 dist__TextBase-sc-1fnzlkn-3 bYFsJw cuqaEv article-text\">City Council members have made it clear that the ordinance is not final and there are details that need to be fine-tuned. As Houston begins enforcing the expanded ordinance, city leaders, outreach organizations, and residents will be watching closely to see how the changes impact the unhoused population \u2014 and whether promises of intervention and support are matched with action and resources.<\/p>\n<p>Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston &#8211; All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON \u2013 Less than 24 hours after Houston\u2019s City Council voted to expand its civility ordinance, the decision&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":71265,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5130],"tags":[24966,9619,49861,4345,358,3187],"class_list":{"0":"post-71264","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-civility-ordinance","9":"tag-homeless","10":"tag-homeless-ban","11":"tag-houston","12":"tag-texas","13":"tag-tx"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114871409254579616","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71264","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=71264"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/71264\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/71265"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=71264"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=71264"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=71264"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}