HOUSTON (AP) - Houston officials hope a proposed shelter will help alleviate concerns about homeless camps beneath downtown freeways.
City officials considered a plan Monday that would move some of Houston’s homeless population to a plot at the Metropolitan Transit Authority’s Buffalo Bayou bus depot, the Houston Chronicle reported .
If finalized, the plan would create a “low-barrier” shelter along railroad tracks and the bayou, where homeless people can find security and shelter from harsh weather. The shelter would operate a six-month pilot with the possibility to extend it.
City officials and outreach advocates said the plan is a productive step forward in efforts to transition more people off the streets while addressing health and safety issues with homeless encampments.
“No one wants this to be a long-term solution, but from the perspective of the partners working to solve homelessness every day, this is a better interim option,” said Marilyn Brown, CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless, a group that’s working on the proposed shelter with the city.
Potential users of the space have said they’d need more information before signing up.
“Sounds like they just want to sweep up the problem and put it somewhere else,” said Roderick Reynolds, who has been homeless in Houston on and off since 2005. Reynolds said security and bathrooms would be a big draw to many homeless people, but requirements to sign up for other long-term programs could drive them away.
The Metro’s board of directors will consider the proposed shelter later this week.
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Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com
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