Consultant: Harlingen’s visible homelessness ‘manageable’ but rising; study recommends focused shelter, enforcement and Loaves & Fishes support

A consultant hired to map and measure Harlingen’s street‑level homelessness told the City Commission on Feb. 24 that the city remains “in a manageable place” but is seeing a noticeable rise in visible homelessness over the past 18 months.

The consultant said his team used field counts, interviews and a survey of people staying in and near Loaves & Fishes to estimate ranges and characteristics of the local unsheltered population. He reported a monthly range of roughly 47 to 71 locally connected people without stable housing and 30 to 53 visitors or “out‑of‑towners” who tend to bed down along freeway underpasses. He said 10 to 15 people currently use Loaves & Fishes for overnight shelter on a regular basis. The consultant also reported long average durations of homelessness among respondents — about a five‑to‑six year median — and that 64.3% of surveyed people were born in Harlingen.

Why it matters: commissioners and staff said they were alarmed by the growth but relieved the study shows options that do not require immediate new large construction. The consultant urged the city to move quickly on targeted measures that combine enforcement in high‑risk freeway encampments, better enforcement of library and park rules, and modest investments in case management and activation of existing shelter capacity.

Key findings and recommendations

- Counts and timing: homelessness counts varied through the month — lower at the start of the month when benefit payments often pay for short hotel stays, higher at month’s end — a pattern the consultant said can change totals by roughly 30% depending on the day counted.

- Demographics and chronicity: survey respondents were majority male and older than national averages for unsheltered populations; the consultant described a higher chronic homelessness rate (median length of homelessness about five years) and a high share with family ties in the area, which he said favors family‑based solutions when feasible.

- Out‑of‑town visitors vs. local residents: the consultant recommended treating visitors who have traveled along the North–South corridor differently from locally rooted individuals. For visitors who arrive to Harlingen, he advised expedited family reunification or transportation assistance rather than sheltering them locally indefinitely.

- Enforcement under current legal framework: the presentation noted recent court and state developments that give cities clearer authority to address camping and related behavior in public spaces if alternatives and due process are available. The consultant advised city enforcement of public‑safety rules around high‑speed road corridors and underpasses where camping is unsafe, combined with outreach and options that steer people to services.

- Use of existing shelter capacity: Loaves & Fishes was described as Harlingen’s primary formal homelessness service provider and as having physical capacity that could be used more fully with additional operating dollars and expanded case management. The consultant explicitly recommended increasing operating support rather than building a new facility.

- Special populations and pets: the consultant said many people experiencing homelessness keep companion animals; he noted that pet‑friendly policies or kennel services are a recognized best practice to reduce a barrier that otherwise prevents people from entering shelter programs.

City reaction and next steps

Mayor Norma Sepulveda and several commissioners thanked the consultant and emphasized the need to avoid large capital projects now and to focus on activation of existing resources. Commissioners asked staff to verify call volumes for park and arroyo areas and to return with options for modest operating funding and policy changes — including clearer library and park house rules and periodic law‑enforcement walk‑throughs — that would allow the city to act within state and federal law.

The commission asked city staff and the consultant to produce a final written report and to circulate it to city departments and service providers for use in developing a short‑term action plan and a 12‑month operating budget request.

Ending

Commissioners and service providers agreed on a twofold priority: reduce safety risks by limiting camping in freeway and high‑speed areas and expand case management and shelter activation for people who are local to Harlingen. The consultant said he will deliver a final written report in the coming days with specific cost and implementation estimates for staff to review.