Mayor John Whitmire says his vision is to get people off of the streets and instead help get them into temporary housing; with the ultimate goal of getting them affordable housing or reuniting with family.

Mayor John Whitmire says his vision is to get people off of the streets and instead help get them into temporary housing; with the ultimate goal of getting them affordable housing or reuniting with family.

The ruling comes amid a nationwide surge in homelessness as high rents put pressure on low-income households and pandemic-era protections expire.

The Riverside Terrace community is discussing the possibility of adding the 'sitting and lying upon public sidewalks' article to the civility ordinance. Do you think this will increase safety or unfairly target the homeless population?

Georgia DeVries, an East Texas 17-year-old, shared her experience living in a car for one month last year on TikTok.

Homelessness rose last year across nearly every demographic group, but strides were made to connect people with new housing.

More than 100 Houston executives are spending the night outside Thursday in downtown to raise awareness about youth homelessness.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo announces the county’s collaboration with Houston legends Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland in efforts to mitigate homelessness in the Bayou City.

Comedian Dave Chappelle railed against San Francisco's homeless people during a show over the weekend, saying "What the (expletive) happened to this place?"

Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher announced on Thursday that up to $1,000,000 in federal funding has been secured for Harris County Public Health to reduce homelessness.

Houston’s largest homeless encampment has been decommissioned as the city looks to transition people living on the streets to permanent housing.

Activists who work with unhoused people noted improvements in the city’s planning and coordination, but said shelters were difficult to reach for some and couldn’t accommodate families with children.

Friends in North Austin removed downed trees from neighbors’ roofs, while closer to the city core, volunteers rushed to meet the immediate needs of people without homes — those most severely impacted by the freezing temperatures.

In Texas, the number of homeless veterans has dropped 65% between 2007 and 2020, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.

Cities and nonprofits are using a variety of strategies to keep unhoused people warm. But some organizations warn they’re already at capacity as El Paso sends migrants across the state.

President Joe Biden's administration is making a new push to reduce homelessness.

Police have had to eject hundreds of people from encampments. They still struggle to tell many of them where to go.

Heat-related emergency calls have spiked amid historic heat. Cooling centers are available in major cities but often close in the late afternoon — during the hottest parts of the day.

The organization provides everything from food, laundry, showers, access to medical care, education and employment opportunities to LGBTQ youth who may be experiencing homelessness or unstable housing.

Austin joins at least 28 U.S. cities, like Los Angeles, Chicago and Pittsburgh, that have tried out some form of “guaranteed income” — financial assistance targeted at needy households.

Casar has impressive progressive endorsements, from Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders. But he also is tied to some of Austin’s most progressive policies, which have attracted powerful enemies and turned off some moderate Democrats.

Advocates say emergency communications have not improved much since last year, and people experiencing homelessness were less likely to seek help this year because of new state and local policies targeting them.

Houston Newsmakers: Is last week’s election a forecast of trend to come?

Months after Austin voters reinstated the city’s public camping ban, authorities are clearing many of the largest encampments. Their former residents are going “anywhere it’s safe and out of sight, out of mind,” one man said.

After weeks of educating people about the ban that voters approved in May, police are allowed to start arresting violators this week as the city tries to find more housing.

The vote comes only weeks after Austin residents voted to reinstate a local public camping ban — two years after it was lifted.

Entering her magical quinceanera on by her father’s arm, her tiara sparkling and her fuchsia ballgown trimmed with ruffles to perfectly match her cake, Adriana Palma scanned the crowd for familiar faces.

But counties say that with some federal relief funding expiring soon or its status uncertain, it's time to transition residents from expensive hotel rooms to cheaper, more stable housing. California is one of several states, including Washington, that turned to hotels to shelter homeless people as the virus took hold. The department has said it plans to move homeless people out of all 29 hotels by June. Russ Heimerich, spokesman with the state's Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency, says counties have resources to continue housing homeless people in hotels. They say hotel residents have flourished with regular checkups and meals.

The Houston Independent School District, like many large districts, is always looking for ways to help their homeless students and does so their Student Assistance Program. This year, HISD estimates there are about 7,700 students currently enrolled in the Student Assistance Program, but COVID-19 is complicating matters. According to HISD, one of the biggest hurdles in helping homeless students is identifying them. A study on homeless students from 2012-13 to 2016-17 by the Houston Education Research Consortium at Rice University found jarring statistics. The HISD Student Assistance Program estimates the 2018-19 identified homeless student graduation rate at 88%.