Urbannizer Posted July 6, 2015 Share Posted July 6, 2015 http://www.h2bengineers.com/healthcare-for-the-homeless.html H2B, Inc. recently completed civil engineering services for the renovations to the Healthcare for the Homeless building in Houston, Texas. The organization’s mission is to promote health, hope and dignity for Houston’s homeless through accessible and comprehensive care. They are growing their scope of reach yearly, serving more than 10,000 people last year. H2B designed the new location for the entrance driveway, making sure to minimize interruptions to traffic flow along Pierce Street during construction. A 2-inch domestic water tap and 4-inch unmetered fire line were added, as well as sidewalk and curb paving around the driveways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted September 23, 2015 Author Share Posted September 23, 2015 http://www.h2bengineers.com/healthcare-for-the-homeless.html 7/2015 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moore713 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I wonder how midtown redevelopment feels , they have a vision for midtown and they have to feel these do good er organization are getting in the way of that....seems like a intresting debate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 That is the old Seafarers Int'l Union Building. Their new place will be over on N. York, between Navigation and the Bayou, on the East Side. There is a sign with a rendering, which looks pretty good...for a Union Hall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houston19514 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 So, has Midtown now crossed over the Pierce Elevated? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsb320 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 This is the downtown side of the Pierce. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 ^^^ one would think that city officials could come up with a more dignified moniker for this development. anyone that is homeless, should not have to become publicly humiliated by it.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j_cuevas713 Posted September 23, 2015 Share Posted September 23, 2015 I don't see the development as bad. It fit's in well with that side of downtown, and it cleans up an existing building. I don't see organizations like this as a nuisance. This is the inner city and these places are needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UtterlyUrban Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 I don't see the development as bad. It fit's in well with that side of downtown, and it cleans up an existing building. I don't see organizations like this as a nuisance. This is the inner city and these places are needed.Of all the possible locations for something like this, this one has some pluses (near the hospital) and some minuses (prime redevelopment location when the pierce comes down).I understand the need. I am uncertain how I feel about this location though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
102IAHexpress Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 This group does very good work. They are a very good bridge between being on the street and re-entering society. I think the trend is that we will see more of these facilities in downtown and midtown. That's where the population is concentrated. A long time ago we had huge public mental health hospitals that absorbed the burden for society, but after wwII public perception about these hospitals shifted once people started to realize the conditions in there. So we transitioned away from huge public mental health hospitals to more of a community based approach. It's been mostly for the better, but the homeless fell through the cracks and so law enforcement stepped in. One of my friends works for MHMRA of Harris County and she sees the first hand every day because she is assigned to Harris County Jail. But this can't be a long term solution. It's just a cycle of arrest for the homeless. So groups like Healthcare for the Homeless step in. Where else but downtown and midtown would you build outreach facilities to the homeless? Just wondering. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 I wonder which beloved President effectively killed public ment health institutions... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ross Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 I wonder which beloved President effectively killed public ment health institutions... Do some research. The closing of public mental institutions was due to a variety of factors, including the Supreme Court ruling that the mentally ill who aren't a danger to themselves and others can't be held against their will. You can't lay the blame solely on Reagan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naviguessor Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 What did he fill this enormous hole with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Do some research. The closing of public mental institutions was due to a variety of factors, including the Supreme Court ruling that the mentally ill who aren't a danger to themselves and others can't be held against their will. You can't lay the blame solely on Reagan.I think I just did though. For real though, I'm not gonna do research to prove your point, unless you can actually provide some proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac Posted September 24, 2015 Share Posted September 24, 2015 Deinstitutionalization, the change in Medicaid treatment of the mentally ill, the battle between those who wanted (and needed) the old asylums to stay in business versus those who wanted the MI to be treated otherwise, all led up to Reagan basically throwing the responsibility for treating the MI back into the laps of the states. And the states did basically nothing. There's a lot of blame to go around. But if it makes you feel better to parrot the Salon crowd, that's up to you, BFS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adr Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I was in a small (less than ten fellow business owners) meeting with a higher-up at the Downtown District recently. I felt like he (gender is the only clue on his identity I am going to reveal) made an artful distinction between Downtown and Midtown's Homeless Population and Street Population. The Homeless, in his description were the folks for whatever the circumstance found themselves without steady, safe and or reliable places to live. The Street Population, on the other hand, he described as (not his words - he is far more eloquent) the loafers, small cons, panhandlers, kush-smokers, etc who, rather than use the day to take advantage of services like Healthcare for the Homeless center, or job training, or employment assistance, or whatever, just seem to be doing nothing but cruise by and get their next score. Are some of these people addicts and mentally ill that need help? Absolutely. And the Joint Processing Center (has it's own thread) with it's mental health and addiction diversion program is going to do real good by helping connect the most pitiable among us with services they need without simply throwing them into the Harris County lock-up. It's not The Homeless that really degrade the quality of life in Downtown (and Midtown struggles with this in the same order of magnitude). It's those perfectly capable jackasses just hassling you every time you walk through between the dollar stores on Main. It's the Street Population. I don't know what the solution to those creeps are, but I do believe that places like the Healthcare for the Homeless are completely separate from that problem. And I laud the historic and ongoing Houston ethos of non-profits stepping in to take care of the least among us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Deinstitutionalization, the change in Medicaid treatment of the mentally ill, the battle between those who wanted (and needed) the old asylums to stay in business versus those who wanted the MI to be treated otherwise, all led up to Reagan basically throwing the responsibility for treating the MI back into the laps of the states. And the states did basically nothing. There's a lot of blame to go around. But if it makes you feel better to parrot the Salon crowd, that's up to you, BFS. You realize that equating me to Salon is like me saying you're nothing but a Fox News shill. Like, I get the passive aggressive bs you're putting up to hide the fact that you never legitimately showed me proof to back up your claims, but it's still pretty damn pathetic to just "sort-of" insult me with some pretty sophomoric level shade. I don't think you're that low, so I'm willing to keep an open mind if I can see something to back up what you and Ross are saying. Thanks for being a good sport! (Now that's passive aggressive ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gmac Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I don't watch Fox News (or any TV news for that matter), and you may not read Salon on the regular. That's neither here nor there. You basically placed all the blame for the dismantling of the mental health system at Reagan's feet, when it is actually a bit more complicated than that. My point: There is plenty of blame to go around. The old system sucked (as Ken Kesey so ably pointed out) and the new system sucks. Between the folks who don't want to spend a dime on any public health project, and the folks who think it's wonderful to let mentally ill people roam freely, there has to be a middle ground that provides treatment and treats patients as human beings while protecting society at large. The project above and the JPC seem to be a small step in that direction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 ^^^ one would think that city officials could come up with a more dignified moniker for this development. anyone that is homeless, should not have to become publicly humiliated by it.... I think that's looking at it the wrong way. When you've got folks that are barely hanging on, dignity has got to be a much different priority. If you save someone that's too mentally ill or doped up to understand much more than plain words on the side of building, you're accomplishing your mission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 I don't watch Fox News (or any TV news for that matter), and you may not read Salon on the regular. That's neither here nor there. You basically placed all the blame for the dismantling of the mental health system at Reagan's feet, when it is actually a bit more complicated than that.My point: There is plenty of blame to go around. The old system sucked (as Ken Kesey so ably pointed out) and the new system sucks. Between the folks who don't want to spend a dime on any public health project, and the folks who think it's wonderful to let mentally ill people roam freely, there has to be a middle ground that provides treatment and treats patients as human beings while protecting society at large.The project above and the JPC seem to be a small step in that direction.To correct you just a bit, I wasn't insulting you with the Fox News thing, but I get your point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moore713 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 ADR...That is a perfect summary of the state of Homeless in Houston as someone who jobs has me interacting with them on a regular I concur..there are three camps of homeless.The down truted, those with mental illness and the sorry ass mofo who do nothing but hang around smoking kush. waiting for whatever kind hearted services comes to feed them for that day.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moore713 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Sadly the people who truly need the service get lump in with these malcontents and people see all homeless as the same..I remember getting on the rail one Sunday and about 7 different males all probably in their 20,s got on at different points and all on them were on something. ..I felt so embrassed as a Houstonian Listening to the people who you could tell were not from here..they had that strike Houston from our visit again list..The truly tragic part 90%of the Homeless you meet are polite, respectful people who trynot to bother you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nate99 Posted September 25, 2015 Share Posted September 25, 2015 Thanks adr and Moore713 for your input on this issue locally. I wish the debate would focus on what the real observations on the ground are as I see both sides conflate the different types of folks out there for their own agendas' benefit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Urbannizer Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 http://pagethink.com/v/blog-detail/Providing-Health-Hope-Dignity/l4/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astros148 Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 until you do something about the street roamers sadly this isnt really hitting the root of the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mollusk Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Aimlessly wandering around is also a Constitutional right as long as you're not committing some crime. Some of us regularly do it downtown, as we try to decide just what on earth we should have for lunch (or try to remember where the car got parked). When Harry Truman did it on a daily basis, it was referred to as "taking a constitutional" (though in the physical health sense, not the legal sense). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astros148 Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Is it also your constitution right to harass other citizens and piss on bus stations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigFootsSocks Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 Is it also your constitution right to harass other citizens and piss on bus stations?That has literally no basis in what he was saying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HoustonMidtown Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Quick pic from today Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monarch Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 ^^^ wonderful illustration houstonmidtown! well done... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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