About Us
Who We Are

Mission
The Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH) acts as a catalyst, uniting partners and maximizing resources to move people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing with supportive services.
Vision
Everyone in our community has a safe place to call home.
History
Founded in 1982 and incorporated as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 1988, CFTH has a long-standing history as a leader of the local homeless response system.
People & Culture
CFTH is committed to fostering a welcoming and respectful workplace. We believe that to effectively lead and serve our varied clients, partners, and communities, we must cultivate an organizational culture where all employees feel valued and supported. CFTH also seeks to provide equitable access to housing and services for all individuals in need. Our policies and practices are designed to be non-discriminatory, ensuring that assistance is available to everyone, regardless of background.
What We Do
CFTH is the designated coordinator of the homeless response system for Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery Counties.
CFTH is the backbone of Houston’s solutions to homelessness. We’re a nonprofit organization that uses the power of collective impact.
Our community has dozens of direct service providers who work directly with people experiencing homelessness to move them from homelessness to housing. CFTH supports those agencies by making sure we are coordinated and well resourced, and by keeping an eye on system-level data and trends.
To better understand our role, think of air travel. CFTH is like air traffic control for the homeless response system, while the service providers are like the airlines. We:
- Coordinate the work of the local homeless response system (The Way Home) for maximum impact
- Secure and grow funding
- Navigate the complexities of an ever-changing landscape
- Eradicate duplication across service providers
- Forecast needs and uncover insights using data that we collect and maintain
- Solve barriers to housing
- Fill gaps. Execute special projects to enhance homelessness response locally and nationally
- Build out best practices
- Drive the evolution of the system
- Develop innovative programs to address homelessness

Leadership
CFTH is led by an experienced management team.
Headshots - Elvis Escobar - 1133 Studios
Board
FY 2025 Board Officers
Chris Hanslik
Chair
Troi Taylor
Past Chair
Annette Garber
Secretary
Kyle Gifford
Treasurer
FY 2025 Board Members
Teddy Adams
Ashley Allen, PhD
Devon Anderson
Tina Arias Peterman
Jay Brown
Ric Campo
Redick Edwards
Bob Eury
Lance Gilliam
Erica Hughes, Esq.
Michael Lykes
Chrishelle Palay
Diana Patiño
Santhi Periasamy, PhD
Shannah Stephens
Kris Thomas
Ken Valach
Document Center
Most Recent Impact Report:
FY 2023 - 2024 Impact Report
Impact Report Archive:
Media Center
Media Kit
For the latest facts, press releases, and key personnel for CFTH, visit our digital Media Kit.
Press Contacts
For media inquiries, additional information and/or questions, please contact our Communications Manager, Fryda Ochoa.
Careers
To view all open positions, visit our Prism HR page.
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Rachel Brooks.