The Coalition Mourns the Passing of Rabbi Samuel Karff
Catherine Villarreal • August 18, 2020
As one of the “Three Amigos,” Rabbi Karff helped to form the Coalition in 1982.
The Coalition for the Homeless mourns the loss of Rabbi Samuel E. Karff who died Saturday at the age of 88.
In 1982, Houston Mayor Kathryn Whitmire and Harris County Judge Jon Lindsay along with area homeless service providers realized that a neutral coordinating agency was needed to liaise with government, support homeless service providers, and advocate to the public on behalf of those experiencing homelessness. Reverend William Lawson, Archbishop Joseph Fiorenza and Rabbi Karff — affectionately known as the “Three Amigos” — came together to unite faiths in a response to homelessness. They presented to Mayor Whitmire the need for what was then called the “Campaign for the Homeless.” From there, the Coalition for the Homeless was born.
“There is a word in Yiddish that best describes Rabbi Sam Karff. Sam Karff was a ‘mensch.’ He epitomized the best characteristics of a human being: kind, generous of spirit, thoughtful and thought-provoking,” said coalition President and CEO Michael Nichols. “For 40 years, Rabbi Karff was my spiritual guide, role model, and friend. Whenever I had an opportunity to hear Sam speak or have a conversation with him, it was meaningful and significant to me. As we mourn his passing, he is remembered by his actions: including helping start the Coalition for the Homeless as well as both the Health and Human Spirit Program — the precursor to the McGovern Center for Humanities and Ethics — and the Sacred Vocation Program (SVP) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.”
Rabbi Karff was an outspoken advocate for equality, civil rights, and social justice. Houston is a far better place for his having lived and worked here. Our condolences are with his family.
Houston, Texas (February 24, 2026) – This week, the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH) is leading the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count & Survey (“PIT Count”) to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness across Houston and throughout Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties. “We may see a slight uptick in the number this year, but we have a plan,” said Kelly Young, President & CEO of CFTH. “With the support of the City of Houston, Harris County, and private funders, we have been piloting new interventions to shorten the length of time people in our region experience homelessness. With adequate funding, we look forward to expanding those interventions to help people regain lives of self-determination.” CFTH coordinates the Houston region’s public-private homeless response system, The Way Home . Through this collaboration, The Way Home partners have successfully housed over 36,000 people since 2012. CFTH will release the results of Houston’s 2026 PIT Count in the summer, following independent verification by an epidemiologist. These findings will provide insight into how factors such as increases in the cost of living and the end of federal pandemic relief funding have impacted homelessness in our region. More information about the 2026 Point-in-Time Homeless Count & Survey The PIT Count offers a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in our region on a single night. This year, the “night of record” is Monday, Feb. 23. CFTH determines the number of people staying in shelters on that night by pulling records electronically from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) . The unsheltered count will be conducted on the following days, from Tuesday, Feb. 24 to Thursday, Feb. 26. More than 400 volunteers and staff of local nonprofit service provider partners will canvass the three-county region to survey people living unsheltered, using an app on their mobile devices. Results from the 2026 PIT Count will help gauge the progress of The Way Home’s ongoing collaborative efforts. It will also help CFTH and partner homeless outreach teams understand geographic shifts and target their outreach throughout the year. The PIT Count illuminates specific programmatic gaps and provides additional information needed to allocate resources most efficiently. The PIT Count is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the annual Continuum of Care (CoC) funding process. HUD furnishes the majority of funding for programs that provide housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in the region. In 2024, HUD granted more than $71 million to the Houston area.
As lead agency to The Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC), CFTH is working with local governmental entities to advocate on behalf of people experiencing homelessness to ensure their needs are being considered as winter weather affects our region. We will make frequent updates as we receive information. Please check back often for the latest information. Last updated 02/01/2026 at 12:00 p.m.
While our system has helped thousands of people move from homelessness to housing, this year’s results highlight the need to broaden our approach.
