Turner on positive findings in nonprofit's annual homelessness report: 'It’s the result of making it a top priority'

A nonprofit organization said in an annual report that was recently published that homelessness in the City of Houston slid approximately 20% during the previous year, Houston-based media outlets reported. 

Houston NPR affiliate Houston Public Media (HPM) reported the Coalition for the Homeless discovered 1,242 people living unsheltered in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, which is a 17% drop from 2022.

The analysis additionally revealed that the last year saw the number of people in homeless shelters rise by 18%, the pieces of data supported by the group’s point-in-time (PIT) homeless count, HPM reported. 

The nonprofit’s vice president of program operations, Ana Rausch, said in the report the waning of COVID-19 restrictions attributed to shelters taking in more people. 

“[The shelters] had not been at capacity over the last couple of years and now they’re finally getting up to what they were prior to the pandemic,” Rausch told HPM. “Overall, we’re very happy with the results.”

Per a report from Houston CW affiliate KIAH, Rausch said the recent dip in the homeless population across the three-county area is a part of a larger slide that’s been occurring since the last decade. 

“Since 2011, it’s a 61% decrease (in the homeless population),” she told the station. “Since 2020, it’s an 18% decrease in overall homelessness. And then just in a year, we’ve had a 17% decrease in unsheltered homelessness.” 

Rausch added the report gives the coalition some hope in its efforts to address homelessness.

“We invested into permanent housing,” she told KIAH. “Because that’s really the only way to end someone’s homelessness is to put them into permanent housing with supportive services.” 

According to Houston FOX affiliate KRIV, Mayor Sylvester Turner said the 17% decline in a year’s span “[doesn’t] happen by mistake.” 

“It’s the result of making it a top priority, enhancing our invaluable partnership with Harris County and the community and strategically funding data-proven, holistic housing solutions,” Turner, whose in his last term in the city’s highest office, said, KRIV reported. 

The mayor, however, cautioned there’s still more work to do. 

“We will continue our groundbreaking, successful efforts until every Houstonian is off our streets,” Turner said. “We must do more.”