HOUSTON — A West Houston pilot program that places homeless people in hotels while connecting them with support services received an additional $180,000 in local funding as it entered its second year, officials said Thursday.
The program helped nearly 100 people during its first year with $30,000 in funding, according to the Energy Corridor Management District. The initiative provides temporary hotel rooms while West Houston Assistance Ministries offers services such as employment coaching and food assistance, with the goal of helping participants move into permanent housing.
“This is hard work for a hard population,” City Council member Tiffany Thomas, who represents the area, told reporters.
Thomas allocated $30,000 from her $1 million district budget for the program. Council members Amy Peck, Mary Nan Huffman and Twila Carter each contributed $10,000. Harris County Commissioner Lesley Brionnes and the Energy Corridor Management District each contributed $60,000.
Zak Miller, vice president of the Energy Corridor Management District, said the program offers an alternative to relying primarily on citations and arrests to address homelessness.
The funding comes as Mayor John Whitmire’s administration expands its efforts to move homeless residents into housing and services.
The city opened a 222-bed residential services center in East Downtown this summer. Officials said the facility has operated at capacity, while an estimated 1,200 people remain unsheltered in Harris County.
Houston housing director Mike Nichols said additional resources and partnerships remain necessary to reach people who cannot be accommodated at the city facility.
A spokesperson for Thomas said the additional $180,000 will support as many people as possible until the funds are exhausted.