Homelessness is a problem that affects everyone and every community.
On Jan. 27, Houston Community Media hosted a briefing entitled, “Getting Housed and Staying Housed in Houston,” the second briefing in a two-part series on homelessness in the nation’s fourth largest city.
However, homelessness is not always what a person thinks.
Sure, one only must drive through the central business district of any major United States city and see people searching for food, making shelter with tents and finding sleep under a bridge on a frigid night to know how heart-wrenching homelessness is.
But many people stereotype the unhoused community as people who do not want to work, abuse drugs or have some mental illness that keeps them from making an income.
But homelessness is also the family that has trouble staying in their homes once they have found a way off the streets.
The predicament that many unhoused people find themselves in is the fact that their income cannot keep up with the rising costs of rent or home mortgages.
Combine that with a lack of affordable housing, especially in the Greater Houston area, and the problem becomes a never ending cycle as less affluent families try desperately to achieve the so-called American dream.
Many organizations have formed to helped alleviate the obstacles of staying housed once housing is available to low-income and no-income families and individuals.
Organizations like the Houston Land Bank have taken a national model of acquiring delinquent and abandoned property and building affordable housing on that land.
Christa Stoneham, President and CEO of the Houston Land Bank (HLB), told Houston community media members that land banks can acquire tax delinquent property for as little as $1, and after partnering with developers can then turn around and sell the property for as little $15,000.
For Houstonians to purchase these homes, they must secure their own financing, however.
To date, the Houston Land Bank has about 40 acres in the Greater Houston area.”
According to Stoneham’s bio, “She leads the transformation of over $150 million in vacant and tax-delinquent properties into affordable housing and thriving community spaces across Houston…
“Under her leadership, HLB has reactivated more than $76 million worth of property, eliminating illegal dumping and abandoned structures while generating millions in revenue for schools and local government services…
“Christa spearheaded the Finding Home Initiative, a partnership with the Houston Community Land Trust, Fannie Mae, and CenterPoint Energy Foundation to create over 100 affordable and resilient homes in historically underserved neighborhoods including Acres Homes, Independence Heights, Fifth Ward, Third Ward, Settegast, Magnolia Park, and Sunnyside…”
Another problem that lower income Houstonians run across is gentrification.
Many predominantly Black and Brown communities have seen their property values increase so exorbitantly, that they cannot afford to keep their homes.
Furthermore, many of the homes in these communities have been in families for generations.
But because descendants cannot afford rising property taxes, they find themselves losing the property, resulting in them being unhoused.
Land trusts are a way that people can avoid this occurring, with money set aside to handle potential property value and property tax increases.
In fact, land banks and land trusts work together to make sure that rising property values do not displace homeowners.
Land banks activate the land, while land trusts allow for the land to remain affordable and in the hands of the community.
Black farmers in Albany, Ga. started the land trust trend, collectively buying property so that it does not fall into the hands of people outside of the community who want to buy cheap land, build luxurious properties, which increases the taxes, and forces longtime homeowners from their land.
Land owned by collectives, prevent gentrification because property is not owned by individual citizens and individual families.
The property is owned by the community as a whole.
Land trusts are community governed.
And stewardship keeps the property taxes down and maintains affordability for the people of the community.
Anna Rhodes, associate professor of Sociology at Rice University in Houston, said that low-income Houstonians can apply for vouchers to assist with rent too.
However, not all apartments accept vouchers as part of payment.
Furthermore, there is a lot of demand for the voucher program but very limited supply.
Rhodes added that the vouchers come from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), meaning that it is a federal assistance program.
Unfortunately, the voucher program has not been opened since 2016.
The Harris County Housing Authority releases a newsletter that might announce future voucher openings.
Another resource that the unhoused community has at their disposal is 211.
The 211 program allows people to call to get help getting off the streets, such as during inclement weather, as well as offering health services for the unhoused.
Despite the many obstacles that the unhoused community faces every day, Houston has done a good job of reversing the trend of homelessness.
Alexis Loving, president and CEO of SEARCH Homeless Services, said that Houston has seen a 60 percent reduction in homelessness since 2011.
But she said that many people are underhoused, even if they are not homeless because many people are not totally independent and capable of taking care of themselves and their families on their own.
Loving said that no is totally independent, meaning all need help.
Thankfully, many organizations exist in Houston that are willing to lend a helping hand.
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