Houston Mayor John Whitmire is pushing to ban sleeping outside as part of his plan to address homelessness. On Wednesday (2/26), the City Council approved the creation of the Initiative to End Street Homelessness Fund, which will be managed by the city’s housing department. While currently empty, the fund is designed to receive money from multiple sources.
“A critical differentiator in Mayor Whitmire’s plan to End Street Homelessness is the establishment of a sustainable funding structure to ensure long-term solutions to homelessness,” Nichols told Houston Public Media in a written statement. “The proposed Initiative to End Street Homelessness Fund embodies this vision by braiding together local funding sources. This strategic approach allows us to remain flexible and adaptable, effectively addressing the unique and complex needs of those experiencing homelessness. Importantly, it aims to remove waiting times and prevent individuals who are at risk from falling into homelessness.”
According to his presentation, the first-year budget consists of $4.2 million from the City of Houston, between $8 million and $18 million from Harris County, $2.6 million from Houston First, $5 million to $8 million from local management districts, $10 million from the METRO transit authority and up to $20 million from philanthropy and corporations.
The approved measure allows funding to be used for relocating homeless individuals from encampments into housing, creating hubs across the city for immediate services, and restoring public spaces for community use. Unlike past efforts that relied on federal funding, Whitmire’s plan focuses on raising local funds. Housing department director Mike Nichols said the city aims to raise $70 million in the first year from sources including the city, Harris County, METRO, local businesses, and philanthropic contributions.
A key part of Whitmire’s strategy is expanding the city’s civility ordinance, which currently bans sitting or lying on sidewalks in certain areas during the day. Nichols emphasized that before enforcing stricter policies, the city must first secure funding for rehousing and mental health services.
Since launching the initiative in November, the city has already cleared one encampment at Allen’s Landing downtown, working with various local organizations. Moving forward, the focus will shift to the downtown homeless population.
If fundraising is successful, Houston could become the first city to guarantee housing for all homeless individuals within 90 days. Kelly Young, CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, highlighted the initiative’s collaborative approach and stressed that meaningful progress requires sustained funding.
According to Young, the initiative will next focus on the homeless population across downtown Houston.
If the city is successful in raising funds, Young said, Houston could be the first city to ensure all people receive housing within 90 days of becoming homeless.
“This is just something that actually costs money to do,” Young said. “You have to have the funding to be able to propel people’s lives forward when you’re literally taking them from the street, where they’ve been for a long time and had nothing for a very long time.”
