Houston spends COVID funding on ‘solving, not managing the issue of homelessness’

Since 2011, Houston has gone from one of the highest homeless populations in the nation – with 8,400 residents without stable housing – down to 3,800 in 2020, and now the goal is to end homelessness completely.

The city and Harris County have partnered with SEARCH and the Houston Coalition to create the Community COVID Housing Program, in an effort to offer permanent solutions to those living on the streets.

“Last summer, the city made a joint commitment totaling $65 million with Harris County and private donors to address the needs of our homeless population,” Sallie Alcorn, Houston City Council member, told the Houston Daily. “What’s been missing for the past several years is the gas to make this machine operate, with COVID recovery funds coming from state and federal sources we’re able to fuel the machine, with the goal of housing 5,000 individuals who are currently or at-risk of experiencing homelessness.”

The kind of collaboration that is behind recent efforts has been what has powered Houston’s move from a city overwhelmed by homelessness to one where the needs of homeless populations are being met, according to reporting by the Houston Chronicle.

“Through the COVID-19 Homeless Housing Program, more than 2,200 individuals have already been permanently housed,” Alcorn said. “Now that we have seen how far these CARES dollars could take us in expanding these programs, I imagine a portion of the anticipated American Rescue Plan Act dollars will be dedicated to these efforts as well.”

So far, the city has been allocated $26 million in emergency funds to address the vulnerability of the homeless to the effects of the pandemic, the Houston Chronicle reported. The city is using that funding to find solutions that will benefit the homeless long after the pandemic is over.

“We believe in solving, not managing the issue of homelessness,” Alcorn said. “Even during the February freeze, we even focused on connecting homeless individuals at our warming centers with permanent housing solutions.”

The Community COVID Housing Program is planned to span the next two years and spend approximately $65 million on addressing housing for the homeless, according to the Houston Chronicle. The program is expected to house approximately 5,000 people by 2022.