Midtown Houston Furthers Commitment to Homeless Outreach

In recent months, SEARCH Homeless Services’ Outreach Specialist, Eric Johnson, and LaVoy Darden have been meeting with the homeless population in Midtown Houston. With dedicated guidance during the pilot phase from December through May 2021, the team found that over half (171) of those engaged want permanent housing. It is reported that 18 of these men and women have already moved into their own homes. 

The SEARCH outreach team works alongside the neighborhood’s law enforcement officers with a different approach but two shared goals: increase community safety and effectively end people’s homeless experiences. The specialists focus on a person’s individual needs, using a person-centered approach to provide appropriate connections to services. The key objective is to get at-risk and homeless individuals into permanent supportive housing. This partnership has already led to successes, like chronically homeless individuals finding a stable home.

A critical part of this project is providing street-based case management that is personalized, trauma-informed, and evidence-based. Much work still lies ahead as crime and health disparities present real challenges for many of the homeless residents of Midtown. People who face homelessness are among the community’s most vulnerable and often the victims of violence themselves.  Midtown Management District has extended the homeless outreach initiative through 2022 with targeted goals to improve safety and community health for all.

Working with the Midtown Management District, Public Safety Committee, and law enforcement,  SEARCH brings its expertise to break down the barriers facing people who are homeless, build bridges with partners, and demonstrate results through data. Visit www.SEARCHHomeless.org to learn more or join the Public Safety Committee every third Tuesday of the month at 11:30am.