Downtown Homeless Situation

[Jax]

This is between the RR tracks and the Post Office, right?

The railroad tracks are to the left. Not sure about the post office. I took the photo from UHD.

[urban909]

I remember the one under the Buffalo Bayou bridge--right there by The Aquarium? That guy was definately setting up camp.

yeah i saw that guy a while back. some of these are actually quite impressive as far as "construction" goes; i used to live in indonesia and some of these remind me of the shanty towns over their (usually right next to million dollar houses/skyrises/hotels) which almost seems to be the case here as well. does anyone know if there has been tv/print stories on these places?

Edited October 12, 2007 by urban909

[barracuda]

That area is likely to flood next time a heavy rain strikes. The shanty town will probably end up washed down the bayou.At least they picked a pretty billboard to live under

[samiamj]

Here is a weird comment:

I took visitors from Philadelphia to Downtown Houston on a Friday afternoon. They were amazed on how wide the sidewalks and streets. They also noted how clean Houston was. By the way, Discovery Green is a tourist asset. They loved the open space and lake.

Then our topic went to the homeless population. They commented that Philadelphia is a haven for homeless. I tried to refute their point but I couldn't find a homeless person to show them. We went to Discovery Green and Main Street/Texas Avenue and City Hall/Library/Theater District/Shell area. Where do the homeless congregate in Houston now or are they banned from Downtown? I know we have some tough panhandling and quality of life laws that restrict their movement. Do we just ship them to Austin or San Francisco?

Edited July 12, 2008 by samiamj

[ricco67]

Here is a weird comment:

I took visitors from Philadelphia to Downtown Houston on a Friday afternoon. They were amazed on how wide the sidewalks and streets. They also noted how clean Houston was. By the way, Discovery Green is a tourist asset. They loved the open space and lake.

Then our topic went to the homeless population. They commented that Philadelphia is a haven for homeless. I tried to refute their point but I couldn't find a homeless person to show them. We went to Discovery Green and Main Street/Texas Avenue and City Hall/Library/Theater District/Shell area. Where do the homeless congregate in Houston now or are they banned from Downtown? I know we have some tough panhandling and quality of life laws that restrict their movement. Do we just ship them to Austin or San Francisco?

For the time being, they seem to hang out (at night) over by the old Sheraton or on Crawford by that church at Gray.

OR, you can go to the montrose and harrass the street kids there. I gunned my car after one of them took forever to cross the street away from a corner. He got the point.

[livincinco]

For the time being, they seem to hang out (at night) over by the old Sheraton or on Crawford by that church at Gray.

OR, you can go to the montrose and harrass the street kids there. I gunned my car after one of them took forever to cross the street away from a corner. He got the point.

I don't spend a lot of time downtown, but from what I've seen, I would agree that Houston seems to have a pretty small homeless population downtown, at least in comparison to other major cities. Is that true?

[ToryGattis]

I would guess homeless tend to congregate where the panhandling opportunities are good. In Houston, that's at major street intersections - especially along freeway frontage roads - and not so much downtown where workers often stay in the tunnels.

[RedScare]

I would guess homeless tend to congregate where the panhandling opportunities are good. In Houston, that's at major street intersections - especially along freeway frontage roads - and not so much downtown where workers often stay in the tunnels.

A quick trip to the 59 overpass around feeding time might change your guess a bit. And, your theory that everyone stays in the tunnels is off as well. Everyone has to get into and out of downtown at least twice a day. This involves getting onto the sidewalks to walk to their parking garage. For a full 40% of downtown workers (up to 80,000 people, depending on whose estimates you use), this involves standing at street corners waiting for mass transit. Contrast this with the fact that I have never seen more than a couple of panhandlers at intersections outside of downtown (Your neighborhood may be different).

This is not to suggest that Houston...downtown or otherwise...is overrun with homeless. Compared to other cities, it is not. But, to suggest that panhandlers sprawl like the populace does here is just ignoring the obvious. They congregate where the services and the pickings are best. And that isn't in the suburbs.

[Ross]

I've seen panhandlers out at BW8 and I-45. Tehre was one guy who stood there with a gas can for several days. There's also been a few religious organizations using children to try to raise money. i haven't seen any of the true homeless out there though. there ar ea few that hang out along I-10 at TC Jester, Durham and Shepherd. Same ones most days.

[livincinco]

I've seen panhandlers out at BW8 and I-45. Tehre was one guy who stood there with a gas can for several days. There's also been a few religious organizations using children to try to raise money. i haven't seen any of the true homeless out there though. there ar ea few that hang out along I-10 at TC Jester, Durham and Shepherd. Same ones most days.

I've seen panhandlers down around 59 and Chimney Rock also, but I don't see them at night. By comparison, I was in downtown San Antonio a couple of weeks ago and there seemed like there were homeless sleeping all over the place.

I know that this is totally subjective, just curious if anyone had the same experiences.

[wernicke]

A large chunk of the homeless population resides in the midtown area, and generally on the Main St. corridor... many use the rail to get to the various social support services, esp. free breakfast at Palmer church across from Memorial Hermann.

Also, Cathedral clinic at 1212 Praire in DT on Sundays... huge numbers hang out there for free showers, laundry, food, HOMES clinic, and socializing.

[BryanS]

I don't spend a lot of time downtown, but from what I've seen, I would agree that Houston seems to have a pretty small homeless population downtown, at least in comparison to other major cities. Is that true?

That has been my observation. San Francisco is ahead of us, in this category.

[Heights2Bastrop]

I took visitors from Philadelphia to Downtown Houston on a Friday afternoon. They were amazed on how wide the sidewalks and streets.

Houston was never a

[Vertigo58]

Find plenty directly behind Minute Maid Park, Greyhound Bus station On W. Grey, under 59 Pierce elevated near St Joseph area, around Elgin/McGowen/Webster streets especially as dusk approaches.

Most start the migration into DT & Midtown when workers are leaving in afternoon and when ball games start up. They know when to signal the others to move in to start the panhandling. There is a method and strategy to it. You will find plenty of personal experiences of encounters from others all over the city on similar topics here on Haif. Very truthful and honest, no sugar coating.

In the old days and homeless in movies they would say ...Hey buddy can you spare a dime? Now it's give me some money. If you refuse, get ready to be cursed out or worse. Most do not care if you are with a wife or children. Just try it and see. Please report back.

PS, Wide sidewalks? What? DT has some of the narrowest ones ever. These visitors must be from a small hicktown? Our city is lame about wider DT sidewalks. Galleria/Uptown did such a better job. Of course the city learned as it grew.

Edited July 14, 2008 by Vertigo58

[editor]

Seems to me there is a number of homeless mostly along the club area - Main St/Travis/etc.

I'm in chicago now on a regular basis - and there is virtually no homeless to be found in any of the areas I travel (Loop/North/Beach area)

The few homeless I have found here try to be (and often are) helpful, finding tourists who look lost and helping them for $1, etc.

There are quite a few homeless in Chicago, and in the areas that you travel. Mostly along the tourist drags of Michigan Avenue and State Street. They're not truly "homeless" because they're just cup-shaking grifters. I'm trying to stop calling them "homeless" and to use the word "vagrant" more, since that's more accurately what they are. Here's one I took a picture of in front of my house (on private property!) a couple of weeks ago:

I don't know why, but I find myself compelled to take their pictures lately. Not the truly homeless, but the scamming cup-shakers. I'm almost always twice their size so there's nothing they can do to me.

For truly homeless, check out Water Tower Park, and the little SOAR-operated park behind the fire station at West Chicago Avenue and North Mies Van Der Rhoe Way. These look like the "recently" homeless -- people who have just fallen on hard times and probably still have jobs they go to, but not enough money to afford a place to live.

There are two hard-core homeless women who hang out around Water Tower Park. One I call Margot, the other Trudy. Poor Trudy must be 75 or 80 years old. The shopgirls at the Bloomingdale's mall all pitched in one December's eve and bought her some new boots when she was walking around with rags tied to her feet in the snowfor a couple of weeks.

There's a homeless woman who hangs out at the Starbucks on Broadway and Sheridan EVERY day. One day I listened in when someone asked her for her story. She's an Indian (casinos, not tech support) and she used to live in a luxury high-rise. But her husband died unexpectedly and she was not able to take care of herself financially and ended up on the streets. She's probably in her late 60's now and all hunched over now and everyone is really nice to her since she's a regular and doesn't ever ask anyone for anything. I think Starbucks gives her one free coffee each morning, but that's just speculation or wishful thinking.

There is a large colony of the chronically homeless who live at the intersection of Lower Wacker and Lower Columbus. In the warmer months they spread out, but in the winter they huddle together in a great big pile there surrounded by garbage burning in barrels. I've seen that pile get up to 50, 60, 70 people thick at 2am on a January night. These people are hardcore and angry. Even the Night Mission has stopped going there to try to help them.

Sorry that reply was so very long, and not even about Houston. I spend a lot of time these days watching the world go by so I see a lot of the various types of homeless.

When I lived in Houston there were two types of homeless -- the panhandling grifters and scammers who worked the core of downtown, and the truly unfortunate who combed the dumpsters on the fringes for recyclable material. Every morning at 5am they'd push their shopping carts full of clanky metal down Sterrett Street, and since I often slept with the window open, that was my alarm clock.

I don't mind the homeless. I live in fear of being homeless one day. What bothers me is the scammers, drunks, junkies, and lazy people who give the broader homeless population a bad name.

Houston was never a

[RedScare]

Very truthful and honest, no sugar coating.

In the old days and homeless in movies they would say ...Hey buddy can you spare a dime? Now it's give me some money. If you refuse, get ready to be cursed out or worse. Most do not care if you are with a wife or children. Just try it and see. Please report back.

OK, I am reporting back. In all of my years in downtown Houston, I've never had a homeless person, or even a vagrant demand money as opposed to ask for it. Since I only give them money some of the time, I have had plenty of opportunities since 1984 to be cursed out or worse. Never happened. Not once. In nearly 25 years of going to school, partying and working in downtown. Never. This includes the time that I officed near Minute Maid, and the time I officed on Main Street. It includes the times that I went to the courthouse complex (nearly daily for 12 years). This even includes the time that I owned a restaurant across the street from Christ Church Cathedral.

The homeless have never threatened me, nor scared me. I even had one guy who guarded my restaurant when we were closed. No breaks ins. No chairs or tables stolen. Nothing.

I'd love to tell y'all some really scary homeless stories, like when they cussed me or chased me down the street with a broken beer bottle, but sorry, never happened. I knew dozens of them by sight, and the ones that weren't crazy were downright friendly. Sorry, no scary stories. And, I am not the size of the editor. I am actually smaller than several of them.

My account is "Very truthful and honest, no sugar coating."

[memebag]

OK, I am reporting back. In all of my years in downtown Houston, I've never had a homeless person, or even a vagrant demand money as opposed to ask for it.

Same here. I never give them money and I've never seen the behavior Vertigo describes.

[KinkaidAlum]

OK, I am reporting back. In all of my years in downtown Houston, I've never had a homeless person, or even a vagrant demand money as opposed to ask for it. Since I only give them money some of the time, I have had plenty of opportunities since 1984 to be cursed out or worse. Never happened. Not once. In nearly 25 years of going to school, partying and working in downtown. Never. This includes the time that I officed near Minute Maid, and the time I officed on Main Street. It includes the times that I went to the courthouse complex (nearly daily for 12 years). This even includes the time that I owned a restaurant across the street from Christ Church Cathedral.

The homeless have never threatened me, nor scared me. I even had one guy who guarded my restaurant when we were closed. No breaks ins. No chairs or tables stolen. Nothing.

I'd love to tell y'all some really scary homeless stories, like when they cussed me or chased me down the street with a broken beer bottle, but sorry, never happened. I knew dozens of them by sight, and the ones that weren't crazy were downright friendly. Sorry, no scary stories. And, I am not the size of the editor. I am actually smaller than several of them.

My account is "Very truthful and honest, no sugar coating."

Your experience is mine as well. I worked in the 806 Main Bldg back when downtown was a much worse place than it is now. I attended Christ Church growing up for 18 years and even volunteer there to this day when I am home visiting the family. I've partied at Power Tools and sipped beers at LaCarafe. I've hung out for weekends around Minute Maid and the B.U.S. I helped run a summer job program at UHD for Jeff Davis H.S. students. I've wandered around on weekends by myself taking pictures. I walk my mom's dog down on the Bayou Trails. The list could go on and on.

In all of those scenarios, I have never once been chased, spit on, cursed-out, or threatened. If you treat people with dignity and respect, most will return the favor.

[editor]

I've had some of them get aggressive, but it's only very rare. Maybe 1 in 200 contacts. But that could be because of my physical stature. It happens to my wife far more often. Maybe every two weeks or so.

[lockmat]

Here's one I took a picture of in front of my house

I don't know why, but I find myself compelled to take their pictures lately. Not the truly homeless, but the scamming cup-shakers. I'm almost always twice their size so there's nothing they can do to me.

AWKWARD!!!

[sunsets]

As a lone female standing on on a downtown corner waiting for a bus, I would seem to be a good target for panhandlers. I do get approached (I would estimate 1 out of every 5 times), but a simple, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't have anything" works just fine to get them to go away. I think the added "sir" helps.

I'm always a bit surprised at the number of grifters we have hanging around the Heights. There's the guy with the dog on Taylor, the team that works the Heights/Katy freeway intersection, and various shopping cart pushers on Center street. There's now a guy that offers to valet your recycling from your car to the dumpster at the center behind Star pizza. (I think he "works" Saturdays, only, though )

[Vertigo58]

As a lone female standing on on a downtown corner waiting for a bus, I would seem to be a good target for panhandlers. I do get approached (I would estimate 1 out of every 5 times), but a simple, "I'm sorry, sir, I don't have anything" works just fine to get them to go away. I think the added "sir" helps.

I'm always a bit surprised at the number of grifters we have hanging around the Heights. There's the guy with the dog on Taylor, the team that works the Heights/Katy freeway intersection, and various shopping cart pushers on Center street. There's now a guy that offers to valet your recycling from your car to the dumpster at the center behind Star pizza. (I think he "works" Saturdays, only, though )

Just like I noted above: They know when to signal the others to move in to start the panhandling. There is a method and strategy to it. You will find plenty of personal experiences of encounters from others all over the city on similar topics here on Haif.

over on 45/Wayside/Telephone intersections they seem to come in waves. The woman and her side crack pal are one of the worse violators of cheating the public. She hides her walker in the bushes, takes it out and props at intersection and holds on. When (unfamiliar) cars stop, its lights, cameras, action! She does the pity me I am am destitute and broke need $. See the fools hand her cash then drive off. As dark falls she and her pals hit the nearby motels to party and the next morning its the same routine all over again.

Be sure to look at al of the many comments of familiar situations under Greyhound Bus Station (Midtown) topic for more true stories.

Many of these so called homeless are ex-cons and are very well versed on tricking and conning the outside world. Prison world is all about manipulation and extorting the people out here. Once out they think they are slick and pull the same stuff that got them in there to begin with. Maybe growing up in the city we just learned early how not to be taken advantage of. Just like when a Jehovah's witness approaches and your right, just say "No Thank" with a smile. Remember just do a search under homeless and see other comments.

PS, I too worked in DT for over 14 years and had my share, alone and with others. No eye contact helps quite a bit. Just dont act scared.

[ricco67]

Fast forward to 3:15 for alternate use for the homeless.

this is almost starting to turn into some sort of touristy thing to do to look for homeless (vagrants).

[Subdude]

Just like I noted above: They know when to signal the others to move in to start the panhandling. There is a method and strategy to it. You will find plenty of personal experiences of encounters from others all over the city on similar topics here on Haif.

over on 45/Wayside/Telephone intersections they seem to come in waves. The woman and her side crack pal are one of the worse violators of cheating the public. She hides her walker in the bushes, takes it out and props at intersection and holds on. When (unfamiliar) cars stop, its lights, cameras, action! She does the pity me I am am destitute and broke need $. See the fools hand her cash then drive off. As dark falls she and her pals hit the nearby motels to party and the next morning its the same routine all over again.

Be sure to look at al of the many comments of familiar situations under Greyhound Bus Station (Midtown) topic for more true stories.

Many of these so called homeless are ex-cons and are very well versed on tricking and conning the outside world. Prison world is all about manipulation and extorting the people out here. Once out they think they are slick and pull the same stuff that got them in there to begin with. Maybe growing up in the city we just learned early how not to be taken advantage of. Just like when a Jehovah's witness approaches and your right, just say "No Thank" with a smile. Remember just do a search under homeless and see other comments.

PS, I too worked in DT for over 14 years and had my share, alone and with others. No eye contact helps quite a bit. Just dont act scared.

Good heavens.

Why not just run off shrieking in terror?

[SilverJK]

I work at 1000 main st and every single day i am asked approx. 4 times for cash on my walk to and from the bus stop to work. The same guy everyday "can you help me out??" on mckinney and travis. I look them in the eyes and say i don't carry cash. 99% of the time they look away and say god bless you as they walk off to the next person.

I have been verbally accosted 3 or 4 times in the 2 years i've been working downtown. There are always homeless people infront of my building next to the fountains on main.

[Heights2Bastrop]

There's more information in that one post than in most web sites. Good job!

Thank you, Sir!

Just wanted to add that I no longer refer to the founders of Houston as "The Allen Brothers". Truth is, Charlotte Baldwin Allen played a large part in the founding and formation of the new city, but rarely receives due credit for her role.

[ricco67]

Thank you, Sir!

Just wanted to add that I no longer refer to the founders of Houston as "The Allen Brothers". Truth is, Charlotte Baldwin Allen played a large part in the founding and formation of the new city, but rarely receives due credit for her role.

"Allen Family?"

[wernicke]

No eye contact helps quite a bit. Just dont act scared.

This is the same advice The Dog Whisperer gives when approaching a large breed with behavioral problems.

Edited July 14, 2008 by wernicke

[august948]

Here is a weird comment:

Then our topic went to the homeless population. They commented that Philadelphia is a haven for homeless. I tried to refute their point but I couldn't find a homeless person to show them. We went to Discovery Green and Main Street/Texas Avenue and City Hall/Library/Theater District/Shell area. Where do the homeless congregate in Houston now or are they banned from Downtown? I know we have some tough panhandling and quality of life laws that restrict their movement. Do we just ship them to Austin or San Francisco?

Just drive down Westheimer all the way to Highway 6. Keep in the left hand lane and keep your window down. You'll have to beat them off with a stick. Stop at any large shopping center along the way and sooner or later you'll be approached. I think I've seen way more in the near suburbs than I have in downtown.

[RedScare]

Just like I noted above: They know when to signal the others to move in to start the panhandling. There is a method and strategy to it.

Given that the locations sunsets listed are several miles apart, I wonder what kind of signal they give?

perhaps?