Houston Mayor John Whitmire said he wants Houston to be the first major city in the United States to end street homelessness by moving all individuals who live outdoors into stable housing.
The video above is from a previous report .
He announced plans in late November that included a $70 million one- to two-year pilot program to start the process he hopes will be completed by the end of 2026.
Funding the project
Michael Nichols, director of Houston’s Housing and Community Development Department, announced in February that the first $21.8 million was secured for the program, including:
- $17.5 million through a combination of general city and federal funds
- $700,000 from the state’s Homeless Housing and Services Program
- $1 million from the Downtown Management District
- $2.6 million from the Houston First Corporation
The $70 million does not include funding for mental health, housing vouchers, disaster relief, or support for the city and county’s law enforcement.
The plan
Nichols said one of the main goals of the new initiative is to help all homeless people in Houston find housing within 30 days of identification…