Midtown businesses say neighborhood homelessness, panhandling, and drug-use is a challenge
HOUSTON - Houston Mayor John Whitmire is hearing from constituents about the challenge of managing the city's homeless population, and there's a lot to consider.
Looking at the simple numbers, there's every indication that the incidence of homelessness is down in Houston by more than half since 2011. In some sections of the city, however, it can be hard to see.
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In Midtown, the light rail runs down Main Street and some of the passing scenery can look rough around the edges along with some of the people watching it go by.
"Everybody talked about these oasis that would pop-up along the light rail, with this new 'thing' that Houston had to offer," says Sharon Haynes, who opened Tacos A Go Go 18 years ago. "That has not really been the case."
While there's always been a transient population that made-up part of the neighborhood, Haynes says it's gotten worse and more aggressive in recent years, as drug buying and panhandling are more pervasive. So far, it's a problem that falls outside typical assistance programs.
"This is a population that has addiction issues and mental health issues, and they don't want help," she says, "It's a very different situation here and much harder to handle."
The effect for businesses is that fewer people seem willing to venture into the neighborhood to eat and drink, which can leave financial margins uncomfortably tight. Since the problem does not, usually, warrant a police response, a number of the businesses have an ongoing group-chat they use to alert each other of trouble, so they can be aware.
Still, as other cities have been faced with similar problems, there's frustration that Houston has been unable to avoid it.
"How can a city be proud of itself with the way it is not dealing with this population of people that need help?" asks Haynes.
The Houston Coalition for the Homeless says the city's unsheltered homeless population continues to decrease, with results from the latest count expected in a couple months.
Panhandling and drug-use, they say, is a separate law-enforcement issue.
To that end, we're told the Midtown Management District, which collects money from businesses, is working on 'paying' for extra law enforcement presence to help make the neighborhood more secure.