On Saturday, February 13 and Sunday, February 14, Houston METRO, the Houston Police Department, Sheriff Homeless Outreach Teams, and agency outreach partners (The Coalition for the Homeless, SEARCH Homeless Services, Avenue 360, Star of Hope, The Harris Center PATH, and U.S. Vets) transported people willing to seek shelter to the GRB and other warming centers.  

From February 14-20, staff from the Coalition, The Beacon, Career & Recovery Resources, Inc., and SEARCH Homeless Services were on the ground at the GRB to assist with staffing. Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston was also on the ground providing medical care at the GRB. Throughout the week, our communications team fielded fifteen media inquiries from local and national outlets (scroll to bottom for further reading). The Coalition also maintained a blog with the most up-to-date information on resources for the storm. 

Assessor volunteers from SEARCH Homeless Services, The Salvation Army, Harmony House, The Harris Center, Career and Recovery Resources, Inc., Avenue 360, and the Coalition also completed about 200 housing assessments. Thanks to the acceleration of funds from the Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP), we hope to be able to house all of those who were assessed and found to be experiencing literal homelessness in the immediate future. 

Though we are just beginning the process of reflecting on this winter storm and our response, these crises always underscore the importance of strong coordination with our local government partners and advocacy that people experiencing homelessness be considered in community disaster planning and response. Through the CCHP, the Coalition hired a Disaster Response Project Manager – a permanent position – to strengthen these partnerships and develop plans and strategies to effectively respond to future disasters. 

Even more, if people had access to safe, secure housing ahead of these disasters, they would be better positioned to survive them. That’s why programs like the CCHP are essential for our neighbors experiencing homelessness; from October 1, 2020 through February 18, 2021, more than 1,100 people were housed by The Way Home Continuum of Care, providing them with the secure home they deserve, particularly in a time of crisis. Subscribe to our e-newsletter to follow our progress as we seek to serve 5,000 people serving homelessness by October 2022.