New Houston Ordinance Targets 24/7 Ban On Outdoor Homeless Sleeping

Yahoo

19 hours ago

(Texas Scorecard) – During a press conference this week, Larry Satterwhite with Houston's Office of Emergency Management announced a proposed 24/7 ban on sleeping on sidewalks in certain neighborhoods—starting with downtown and the East End.
The move would update Houston's existing 'civility ordinance,' which currently prohibits sleeping in public spaces from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., but allows it during overnight hours. That ordinance, first passed in 2001, has gradually expanded to cover more neighborhoods, including Riverside Terrace, which was added just last year.
If approved by the city council, the new version would ban outdoor sleeping around the clock in covered areas. 'The mayor is on board. With city council approval, we'll say: Not anymore. Not in this area,' Satterwhite said.
While the policy is expected to improve neighborhood appearance and safety, officials emphasized that the ultimate goal is to help individuals experiencing homelessness move off the streets and into safer environments. Satterwhite noted that the city's approach has evolved—where past efforts focused primarily on offering permanent housing before clearing encampments, the new strategy includes offering shelter beds as an immediate first step.
'We're offering them a bed. A place for them to go at night,' he said, adding that limited bed availability is the reason the 24/7 ban will begin with just two neighborhoods. The city is working in coordination with Harris County, METRO, and other partners to raise additional funding to expand shelter access.
In addition to the ordinance, the city plans to establish a network of 'hubs'—drop-in sites across Houston where unhoused individuals can access resources and be connected with shelter. 'The plan is to expand,' Satterwhite said. 'As we get more resources, more funding, more beds, more ability, we'll expand that out to the other zones. We'll eventually expand out to the city … We want to solve homelessness.'
The announcement came on the same day U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner visited Houston to meet with Mayor John Whitmire and discuss affordable housing, shelter capacity, and disaster preparedness. Following last year's derecho and Hurricane Beryl, the federal government awarded Houston $314 million in disaster recovery funds. Of that, $41 million has been specifically allocated to the city's homelessness initiatives.
'Homelessness drives me nuts. It's not fair to the homeless victims nor the citizens. We are committed to put the homeless in shelters and provide for them,' Mayor Whitmire said. Turner echoed that sentiment, stating, 'We understand you have to put the axe head to the root. Housing is important, but it has to be a holistic view when you look at homelessness.' He also pledged that HUD would partner with the city in 'eradicating homelessness.'
Late last year, Whitmire laid out his broader plan to address Houston's homeless crisis, which includes a $70 million annual investment and the creation of a city-managed encampment. 'If you're operating in the City of Houston, dealing with people, you're going to have to contribute and be a part of this collaboration,' Whitmire said at the time. 'We think we can run an annual program of about $70 million … our state partners that are here, it's your problem, too.'