The most recent official count of homeless, known as the Point in Time Count, found 3,325 people experiencing homelessness in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties in January 2025. The 2026 count in February will be released later this year.
Houston is considered the national model for helping people out of homelessness. And the reason is “The Way Home,” a coalition of government, private, philanthropic, faith-based, neighborhood and local homeless service organizations that works to prevent and reduce homelessness using the best practice of “Housing First.” Since 2012, The Way Home and its partners have successfully housed over 36,000 people.
Unfortunately, many of the homeless now left on the streets are the most difficult to house, with debilitating mental health and substance abuse issues, living in encampments that pose public health and safety risks.
- Working with these individuals is the Houston Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team (HOT). HOT teams officers and mental health case managers to engage in street outreach to the chronically homeless, with the goal of moving them into temporary, short or longer term housing. Nick will use a portion of his District C service funds to expand and/or pay overtime to increase HOT’s efforts to help the homeless in District C.
- The City will open a $16 million “Super Hub” for the homeless at 419 Emancipation Avenue this summer. While only meant for temporary housing, it will provide up to 300 beds with counseling for those with addictions. While Nick knows that permanent housing with supportive services is what the homeless need, he supports the Super Hub as it helps individuals transition off the streets. He will ensure all stakeholders are at the table to make it a success.
- Nick supports programs like Harris County’s Holistic Assistance Response Team (HART), a non-law enforcement, unarmed mobile unit that responds to 911 calls involving homelessness, mental health crises and other non-violent social service needs. This approach helps ensure people experiencing homelessness or mental health crises receive appropriate support while reducing unnecessary police involvement. Bringing a program like this to the City of Houston will be a top priority and Nick will advocate for it during his first budget cycle.
