HOUSTON — During Wednesday's city council meeting, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced a city-sponsored homeless encampment will soon be established to address the ongoing issue of unhoused individuals in the city.
The mayor shared the development during a public hearing on a proposal to extend the city's civility ordinance to Magnolia Park.
"Very soon, we're going to have a city-sponsored encampment," Whitmire told the chamber. "The homeless and public space is just not going to be acceptable. We hear the same message across Houston. Obviously, it's a complex issue."
KHOU 11 News followed up with Whitmire for more details.
"The homeless encampment is going to be a safe residential facility, maybe a tent," Whitmire said. "We're working on it."
Whitmire elaborated saying existing infrastructure will help with the effort.
"It's not going to be a public encampment, we're going to find a location in current residential facilities," Whitmire told reporters. "Harris County Health... I could name other active residential pavilions."
Whitmire said more details and the rollout are expected next week.
"Our goal is to help the homeless by getting them off the streets," Whitmire said. "Also relieve the public of dealing with homeless in public spaces."
Houston has gotten national attention for what is believed to be a success story for urban homelessness, compared to the rest of the country.
According to the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County's Point-in-Time Count & Survey Analysis, the number of homeless people in the region has gone from about 8,400 in 2011 down to about 3,200 in 2024. The numbers also show a plateau in recent years with 2024 being a slight increase from 2023.