(Renée C. Lee, Houston Chronicle)
Houston’s homeless population declined by 5 percent this year, creating a positive backdrop for a new collaborative effort aimed at moving more people off the streets and into long-term housing.
The number of sheltered and unsheltered homeless dropped from 8,242 counted in January 2011, to 7,830 counted in January 2012, according to the annual tally by the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Fort Bend County. In addition, the number of people in permanent housing with additional services, known as permanent supportive housing, increased slightly, suggesting the concept might be a promising approach to reducing homelessness in Houston.
“We’ve learned that some of the interventions and solutions tried in the past were more temporary solutions,” said coalition President and CEO Marilyn Brown. “With additional federal dollars, homeless service providers have put a focus on permanent supportive housing. It’s the best solution, and it’s nice to see the proof in the numbers.”
Permanent supportive housing has been around for about 20 years, but it’s become more prevalent in the past decade. Many cities, including New York, Denver and Columbus, Ohio, have seen homeless numbers decline because of supportive housing, and Houston is learning from their success, Brown said.
The coalition is working with social service providers, local government agencies and developers to create more permanent supportive housing units. The goal is 1,750 additional units by 2016. (Read more at the Houston Chronicle)
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