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HOUSTON – A plan to establish Houston\u2019s first centralized homeless intake facility \u2014 described by officials as a critical step in the “End Street Homelessness Action Plan” \u2014 is facing mounting opposition from residents near 419 Emancipation Avenue, where the project is set to take shape. The proposal was originally expected to go before City Council for a vote on Wednesday, but it has now been removed from the Wednesday agenda.\u00a0<\/p>\n
City\u2019s plan: A \u2018front door\u2019 to services and safety <\/p>\n
City housing and public safety leaders say the “Super Hub” will serve as a “front door” for individuals experiencing homelessness, connecting them to immediate safety, healthcare, psychiatric support, and substance abuse programs. The facility would house 150 to 225 people and function as an alternative to citations or jail for those sleeping in public spaces.<\/p>\n
According to the city\u2019s presentation,<\/a> the hub aims to fill major service gaps, including limited shelter capacity for single adults, restricted intake hours, and a lack of resources for those with severe mental illness or substance use disorders.<\/p>\n The cost of operation <\/p>\n The project is part of a broader three-year, $168 million “Ramp Up Plan,” jointly funded by the City of Houston, Harris County, and private foundations. City officials say $33 million has already been committed, with the county pledging $8 million and philanthropic organizations contributing $6 million so far.<\/p>\n Annual operating costs for the downtown facility are estimated between $10 million and $14 million, not including housing subsidies and wrap-around support. The city plans to partner with nonprofit service providers experienced in managing clients with complex health and behavioral needs.<\/p>\n “This is not a shelter \u2014 it\u2019s a navigation center,” said Councilmember-At-Large Twila Carter, who supports the plan. “You can’t very well address a problem in a community unless you go into a community.”<\/p>\n Mayor John Whitmire defended the project, assuring residents that public safety will remain a top priority.<\/p>\n “I can almost guarantee you that you will like the outcome,” Whitmire said. “You won\u2019t be dealing with urination on the street. You won\u2019t be dealing with nudity. These folks are going to get the help that they so badly need\u2026I can almost guarantee you that you will like the outcome….I would hope that you would come back in six months and tell us we were right.”<\/p>\n Residents push back over safety concerns <\/p>\n Opponents argue the city has rushed the proposal and failed to adequately inform residents of its scope and impact. Critics say the location \u2014 near homes, small businesses, and venues slated to host World Cup 2026 events \u2014 poses safety and economic risks.<\/p>\n “I want to see this plan. You’re not giving us enough time to see this plan,” says one concerned resident in the community meeting at Settegast Park Community Center on Tuesday. A press conference was held beforehand by journalist Wayne Dolcefino. He was joined by several residents of the Stanford Lofts – a condominium located two minutes from the proposed location.\u00a0<\/p>\n “It’s going to be a dangerous situation for the homeless and the community,” said resident Steve Brown.\u00a0<\/p>\n What’s next:<\/p>\n If approved by council, the “Super Hub” would be the first of several planned facilities across Houston and Harris County designed to provide rapid support and transition people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing.<\/p>\n The Source: FOX 26 gathered information from the City of Houston and residents on the East End for this story.\u00a0<\/p>\n Crime and Public Safety<\/a>Houston<\/a>News<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"HOUSTON – A plan to establish Houston\u2019s first centralized homeless intake facility \u2014 described by officials as a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4349,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1046,56,58,57,223,216,393],"class_list":{"0":"post-4348","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-crime-publicsafety","9":"tag-houston","10":"tag-houston-headlines","11":"tag-houston-news","12":"tag-news","13":"tag-tx","14":"tag-us"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4348"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4348\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4349"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}