[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6528871,"mediaKeyId","5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513","parentId",5030958,"title","Coalition and city outline \"equilibrium\" homelessness plan, REI awards and new legal tools to address chronic street homelessness","audioSeconds",493,"startMs",3776000,"endMs",4269000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513&start=3776&end=4269","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513/thumbnail_3776000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6528871/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Coalition-and-city-outline-equilibrium-homelessness-plan-REI-awards-and-new-legal-tools-to-address-chronic-street-homelessness","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528871-1deb13d607f228250d3834810a380554/orig.mp4?Expires=1771087818&Signature=napYTM6I1y0uogDeZMNr-5ZDoB5on6Lmup6r0~MQ6hR6SBYH7JQHmBaJjf4D6Co~xY2yeErBCOUK26UI2KnLrSkk2-LIEbBi9dMlUhB5enmfxfS6RsA9-F-ysiMnyWbQn7tNLERPLyTvTIeXtaTwTlC6GllD~SM8F-72ZZNABlF0wrBpzsdBzPMfRTVSNP4uQQqIrSu4JphHlemS3c0x5laPt3ipB~cQF9AO16Qu0BSgN34gV3mVFe2-QJn48ICEEklaIDHbrF8VSeBQQqfoRGwbhSlydpeVOQUTc9JwpCErmqiZ6eAMykR1P9HZAveoFnPdF1DaLVrBWqHkZC~M4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Houston","date","2025-06-16T00:00:00Z","article","City and nonprofit leaders presented an expanded homelessness response plan on June 16 that aims to reduce street homelessness through a coordinated mix of outreach, diversion, bridge and permanent housing resources, and by using recently enacted state legislation to increase involuntary-treatment options in narrowly defined clinical cases.

Kelly Young, CEO of the Coalition for the Homeless, described the plan’s operational goal: to create an \"equilibrium\" in the local system in which \"everyone experiencing homelessness is rehoused through rapid resolution or entering an appropriate intervention within 90 days.\" Young said the coalition and partners recommend a ramp-up that relies on flexible local funding layered atop existing federal programs to reach that outcome.

City and county leaders and philanthropies, Young and others said, have identified an initial three-year price tag of about $210 million (roughly $70 million per year) to scale needed services and housing interventions. Presenters reported early funding commitments and pledges: the city has allocated about $23 million for an initial distribution over 24 months, Metro pledged $10 million, Houston First approximately $2.6 million, Harris County indicated an $8 million allocation to braid into county programs, and philanthropy is negotiating a potential major grant (staff mentioned a target philanthropic goal of about $60 million). Staff emphasized the funds complement, not replace, existing federal HUD Continuum of Care grants.

As part of the operational rollout, the city and partners released a joint rolling Request for Expressions of Interest (REI) on Jan. 31, 2025, to solicit scalable, low-barrier proposals for permanent supportive housing, rapid rehousing, outreach and shelter expansions; initial submissions were due March 14. Staff said several of the homelessness agreements presented to the committee (including SEARCH, Family Endeavors and the Houston Recovery Center items) are outcomes of that REI process.

Participants summarized results from recent encampment decommissionings and pilot operations downtown and at Chartres/Tranquility Park. Young said outreach teams engaged dozens of people in targeted areas and that in one Chartres-area outreach 68 people were engaged and 46 were moved directly into housing (rapid rehousing or permanent supportive housing). The Bayou Place/Tranquility Park pilot demonstrated the utility of offering short-term, no-commitment beds to encourage engagement; Young said 60% of people engaged downtown wanted a place to stay overnight and 83% of those accepted a meeting with a case manager.

City and coalition leaders emphasized gaps the plan intends to fill: insufficient unsheltered capacity for people waiting placement, a lack of flexible local funding that can be used to bridge federal program limits, and inadequate options for people with severe mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. City Director Nichols and Coalition staff said these gaps explained the need to layer local funds onto federal grants and to build hubs and overnight access points across neighborhoods.

Speakers discussed recent state legislation amending Health and Safety Code Sec. 573.001 (referred in the meeting as Senate Bill 1164), which staff said expands criteria and process for treatment orders in narrowly defined clinical cases. City presenters and Harris Center representatives described checks and balances: an initial evaluation by clinicians, a magistrate review and court oversight, and repeated emphasis that the new standard is intended for individuals with severe, persistent mental illness who repeatedly cycle through crisis and who cannot or will not accept voluntary care. Staff and agency representatives cautioned that the law is not a general sweep of people experiencing homelessness and described multiple procedural safeguards and judicial oversight in the bill’s process.

Chief Satterwhite (Houston Police Department) and Leonard Kinkade (Houston Recovery Center) discussed operational coordination with law enforcement, outreach teams and sobering-center operations. Kinkade described reserving 34 beds for emergency shelter and diversion use tied to outreach and law-enforcement referrals and said the funding in front of committee would primarily support additional staffing so the Recovery Center could maintain 24/7 operations and expand the capacity available for short-term stays for homeless individuals.

Council members asked questions about displacement and neighborhood impacts, feeding and cleanup coordination after humanitarian distributions, and the risk that federal funding cuts could reduce program capacity. Coalition and city staff warned that proposed federal budget changes (discussed at a national level) could cut combined ESG/CoC/HOPWA funding if enacted and that the city’s approach depends on sustaining a blended local, county and philanthropic funding stream.

Why it matters: The plan represents a major local-scale attempt to reduce visible, chronic street homelessness in Houston by pairing outreach and beds with bridge funding, behavioral-health interventions for clinically eligible people, and a network of neighborhood hubs intended to prevent displacement as enforcement and decommissioning actions occur.

Ending: Staff emphasized the plan is iterative and contingent on funding; several committee members pressed for more details on hub locations, philanthropic commitments and operational metrics for measuring progress toward the 90-day equilibrium goal.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Houston - Quality of Life Committee - Jun 16, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City and nonprofit leaders presented a coordinated homelessness response plan on June 16 that aims to house or engage people living on the street within 90 days, backed by a mix of city, county, Metro and philanthropic funding and new statutory tools for narrowly defined clinical cases.","taxTitle","Houston, Harris County, Texas","taxId",2797,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528875,"Housing department seeks council approval to extend Bethune Center timeline, advance tax-credit hearing and authorize multiple homelessness program agreements",1818,764000,2582000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513&start=764&end=2582","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513/thumbnail_764000.jpg","/articles/6528875/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/Housing-department-seeks-council-approval-to-extend-Bethune-Center-timeline-advance-tax-credit-hearing-and-authorize-multiple-homelessness-program-agreements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528875-096b181a2f4c2545df00fbeb92cc7d43/orig.mp4?Expires=1771087818&Signature=oH-UWRKQFKSvnHEcHHCzUx2miNPHMm0BpeTYnw0-YiPjGEJnYA--MgaxnFYtik9j8GtYOMistrJoMDp~D~NgGDxDKB~YC~NWIZcx3qda4ALgx8nTnTtiBaUj07dZsgfX7dCRUWjroEs1sVRGPNyBBewvZ0vvKnWaNi6GFtcyMYVTSEFHdzagR1v0HhncmEEb7sCrD6amwviJUEqmFvEZXGfgXXsgZX5iINx9o7v6QE4oAldfiftUDh4G~eZVjw-1Ama4ePQ4H3VGP8baPhF5T-X1IL1xWA9Uu-PG~bLkq6wezWjW4daDzbzL-FSAjLFyY4DqG7XIVZCTU9O9hKv5ww__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Houston Housing and Community Development Department asked the joint Quality of Life and Housing and Affordability committees on June 16 to approve a series of actions: a third amendment to a renovation agreement for the Bethune Empowerment Center, initiation of a city \"resolution of no objection\" process for a 4% housing tax-credit application (Enclave at Katy), acceptance of a state homeless housing services program award, and multiple subrecipient agreements to fund homelessness outreach, rapid rehousing, behavioral-health navigation and stabilization programs.

Assistant Director Ryan Bibbs told the committee the department seeks council approval for a third amendment to the renovation agreement between the City of Houston and Houston Business Development Inc. (HBDI) to extend the construction performance period for the Bethune Empowerment Center project from June 30, 2025, to Oct. 31, 2025. Bibbs said the director may grant an additional extension to Dec. 1, 2025, if needed, but that any extension after Dec. 1 would require council approval. He said the amendment would not require additional city funding.

Bibbs and Director Mike Nichols described the Bethune site (2500 South Victory Drive, formerly Mary McLeod Bethune Academy) as a seven-building rehab owned by Aldine ISD that will contain administrative space, an early childhood learning center, workforce and small-business incubation space, a community garden and other uses. Bibbs said the project’s total budget is roughly $13,000,000 across construction and operations (he reported $12,000,000 allocated for construction and $1.4 million for operations). He said approximately $4.6 million has been spent on construction to date, leaving a construction balance of about $7.6 million; and that approximately $582,000 has been spent on operations with $906,000 of the operating allocation to be returned to the city after the operating funds expired. Bibbs attributed construction delays to permitting issues dating back to September 2024; permits were ultimately approved May 6, 2025, he said.

On multifamily housing, Nichols’ staff requested a resolution of no objection for Enclave at Katy, a proposed family development of 360 units at 5138 and 5202 Katy Hockley seeking 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). Bibbs said HCD recommends a motion to hold a public hearing on July 9, 2025, with council steps planned in late June and mid-July: a June 25 request to place the hearing on the council calendar, July 9 to move to hold a hearing, and July 16 for a vote on the resolution if so scheduled. The project will target units at or below 60% area median income with a mix of one- to four-bedroom units; Bibbs said there is no direct city funding associated with the ‘‘no objection’’ resolution itself.

The department also presented a package of subrecipient agreements and amendments intended to expand homelessness services and outreach: a second amendment with Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to provide up to $389,838.12 in HOPWA funds (serving a minimum of 172 households with tenant-based rental assistance, short-term mortgage/utility assistance, permanent housing placement payments and supportive services through Sept. 30, 2025); acceptance of a TDHCA Homeless Housing Services Program (HHSP) award (combined total $1,619,037: $1,213,997 general allocation and $405,040 youth set-aside) to be used for prevention and housing activities; an amendment with SEARCH Homeless Services adding $247,861.72 in CDBG/ESG funds to continue a rapid rehousing program and serve roughly 48 households (no change to the project end date); a new SEARCH HOME-ARP agreement for $391,776 to fund expanded outreach teams serving an estimated 500 individuals (Aug. 1, 2025–July 31, 2026); two Harris Center HOME-ARP and street-homeless fund agreements totaling roughly $3.6 million combined for crisis outreach, psychiatric care and a 32-bed Hospital-to-Home expansion (one contract approximately $948,841.34 for a 12-month term and a second $2,647,392.77 for a 24-month term; staff noted an agenda-sheet date error and said the 24-month term should extend into 2027); a Family Endeavors HOME-ARP/street-homeless fund agreement for $7,495,014.05 to support housing stability services for roughly 150 households annually (Aug. 1, 2025–July 31, 2027); and a Houston Recovery Center agreement for $941,864.51 from the in-street homeless fund to operate a 24/7, 30-bed sobering/short-term support capacity with targeted stays of about 15 days or less and 24/7 staffing (Aug. 1, 2025–July 31, 2026).

Staff said several of the items (including SEARCH and Houston Recovery Center awards) were the result of a joint, tri-party rolling request for expressions of interest (REI) among the City of Houston, Harris County and the Coalition for the Homeless; the REI opened Jan. 31, 2025, with an initial submission deadline of March 14 and a virtual Q&A Feb. 14. Director Nichols and staff emphasized monitoring practices and said compliance reviews for the cited subrecipients had shown no recent findings on the projects discussed in committee. Several presenters and agency representatives attended the meeting.

Committee members asked for clarifications during the presentation: Council Member Tiffany Thomas asked whether the $906,000 was returning to the general fund (staff confirmed it was the unspent operating allocation), staff explained permitting delays and oversight of draws for the Bethune project, and committee members pressed for clarity on HOME-ARP time clocks, HOME-ARP availability and the composition of the homeless fund (Fund 2012) which staff said includes Metro funds, general fund contributions and other nonfederal sources.

No formal committee vote on any ordinance or contract award was recorded in the transcript capture; staff presented the items for council consideration and indicated follow-up steps including scheduling a public hearing for the tax-credit item and putting ordinances/agendas before council for approval.

Why it matters: The package includes both a local construction contract time extension for a prominent community facility (Bethune Empowerment Center) and a suite of homelessness investments that expand outreach, crisis stabilization, outreach staffing and short-term housing assistance programs — actions with direct budgetary, service-delivery and timeline consequences for neighborhoods and nonprofit partners.

Ending: Department staff said they would return to council with ordinances allocating the accepted funds to specific nonprofit providers where applicable and that the director has discretion for a limited additional extension for the Bethune project through Dec. 1, 2025, with any further extension requiring council approval.","The Houston Housing and Community Development Department asked the joint committees on June 16 to authorize a construction deadline extension for the Bethune Empowerment Center project, initiate a \"no objection\" process for a 4% housing tax-credit application, and approve several subrecipient agreements to expand homelessness outreach and housing services.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6528880,"City staff present municipal setting designation for contaminated industrial parcel on American Petroleum Road",626,133000,759000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513&start=133&end=759","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5030958-f2d3bf36c49e80a8c9abfda644dca513/thumbnail_133000.jpg","/articles/6528880/Houston/Harris-County/Texas/City-staff-present-municipal-setting-designation-for-contaminated-industrial-parcel-on-American-Petroleum-Road","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6528880-e4c12983b9301931e43931e981a5b522/orig.mp4?Expires=1771087818&Signature=X7mCEg~cOHjylM7j-EOatkErijh9UNdJmt4xDQlm6fNNKNUCmCuQvQr9enObh7wUbM5fy10A3vj85aAS~kLjp~YnF2uogVyrsp4LurVaSmBxfAqXWvkovIKH~gO0boYMhfiDYHG00vxxZEj14fW6YWvYqRJhuC2ry2Ju4GyM4G7sl8hNc384Pb8Z2sgMXGB03Kgq41NgtXjUVBpH~7yGLW4p7t8IpLFDmX5yfRNnCekDtqmOqCg3XLVU925fB8NjpGVQAY4ZOyNRy5LrkKHeMc4lS4EJ~7tOpGK~2~f3ffEI-HdT49aWplWltPpMG5ni~Vl39SpMGowgEMCjsr4NHA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Houston Public Works staff presented a municipal setting designation (MSD) application for 12510 American Petroleum Road in Houston on June 16, 2025, describing a past surface release and subsequent soil removal and asking the council committees to move the MSD request forward for later council action.

An MSD is a voluntary deed restriction initiated by a property owner that “prevent[s] the use of contaminated water,” Cassandra Walker, administration manager of the Brownfields and MSD section of Public Works, told the joint Quality of Life and Housing and Affordability committees. Walker said the designation legally prohibits the use of groundwater for drinking on the property and is “a legally binding way to ensure the public is not exposed to contaminants.”

Walker said the designated property is a 66.5803-acre parcel along the Houston Ship Channel and Buffalo Bayou owned by Target Downstream LLC. Public water in the area is supplied from much deeper sources, she said, and groundwater is typically found at 20 to 60 feet compared with public water supply wells commonly near 600 feet. The MSD application includes investigation and cleanup steps intended to show that any remaining groundwater contamination is stable or decreasing and that the source has been removed.

City staff described a reported release discovered July 15, 2020, from a bulk storage tank (Tank W2L). The release was reported to the National Response Center (NRC incident number 1281972) and to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ spill number 20202155), Walker said. Initial response included a superficial excavation and soil sampling in August 2020; later soil borings in October 2020 found benzene and total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) in surface soils at concentrations exceeding TRRP tier 1 protective concentration levels, she said. Braun Entec submitted a self-implementation notice on June 24, 2022, and Walker said contractors excavated contaminated surface soil in a removal action from August 30 to September 9, 2022, for source removal.

Walker outlined the city’s MSD requirements for applicants: enrollment in state or federal cleanup programs as appropriate, a thorough investigation confirming plume stability and delineation, demonstration that the source has been removed or otherwise addressed, and certification of the application by a third-party professional engineer or geologist. She said stakeholders and property/well owners within a five-and-a-half-mile radius received notice of the MSD application and that a hard copy of the application is available at the Galena Park Library. Walker provided a direct city contact and said an electronic copy of the application is available on the Public Works website.

No committee vote or final council action on the MSD was recorded in the committee transcript. The presentation concluded with the applicant’s representatives in attendance but no formal motion recorded during the time captured in the transcript.

Why it matters: An MSD, if approved later by council and/or TCEQ as required, restricts use of groundwater on the parcel in perpetuity (or as specified) and clarifies which party is responsible for ongoing remediation obligations while enabling redevelopment that avoids potable groundwater use.

Details noted by staff: the parcel address and owner (Target Downstream LLC), NRC incident number 1281972, TCEQ spill number 20202155, excavation dates and a June 24, 2022 self-implementation notice, and the local library location for a physical application copy. Cassandra Walker provided a city phone contact during the presentation.","Houston Public Works presented a municipal setting designation application for 12510 American Petroleum Road, a 66.58-acre industrial parcel owned by Target Downstream LLC, describing past soil contamination, removal work, and notifications to nearby well owners; no council vote was recorded in the transcript.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Coalition and city outline "equilibrium" homelessness plan, REI awards and new legal tools to address chronic street homelessness

Housing department seeks council approval to extend Bethune Center timeline, advance tax-credit hearing and authorize multiple homelessness program agreements

City staff present municipal setting designation for contaminated industrial parcel on American Petroleum Road