We’re still fixing flood’s mess; let’s do it in best way possible
How can Houstonians access the help they need after Harvey? In the months since the storm, West Street Recovery has been working with other grassroots groups to connect those hardest hit by Harvey with resources to recover. What we’ve seen is that it is far too difficult for Houstonians to get the help they need. As a city, we must do better.
While we wait for federal dollars to arrive, Houston is fortunate that more than $800 million was raised in charitable contributions for recovery, much of which has been committed to large, established service providers across the city. One of the main public faces of the recovery effort so far is the 211 helpline administered by the United Way of Greater Houston. Agencies assigned cases through the 211 system communicate with each other through a “Coordinated Assistance Network” run by the Red Cross.
These systems are supposed to coordinate and administer assistance for Houstonians who need help. But there are troubling signs that 211 and CAN are falling short. As of Jan. 3, only 6,321 households were entered into the CAN database. With hundreds of thousands of Houstonians affected by Harvey, this number simply isn’t a credible representation of the need that exists in our city.
Of even greater concern is the lack of confidence many residents feel in the systems and organizations
that are supposed to help them. Calling the helpline is frustrating and time-consuming. Callers have to give the same information repeatedly and rarely get straightforward answers to common recovery questions. After they report an issue, residents are uncertain about whether their cases are being managed, or by whom. Despite the multitude of agencies providing aid in Houston, people aren’t sure who they can turn to for help. Some are even getting the message that if you accept assistance now from one group, you could become ineligible for assistance from other agencies in the future.
The frustration of working with agencies in the CAN partnership — Baker Ripley, United Way, Catholic Charities, and the Red Cross, among others — leads residents to give up on the system and navigate their recovery in the dark. This is avoidable and unacceptable.
We’re eager to see 211 and CAN improve. Here are three suggestions:
• Focus on users while expanding coverage: 211, CAN and relief organizations should be evaluated on how well and how quickly they resolve problems for individual Houstonians. The CAN partnership is concerned with preventing service duplication and fraud — making sure residents don’t get too much help. We see a far greater risk in the neediest Houstonians going without any help at all. To address this, partner agencies must prioritize understanding and fixing the low rate of coverage and lack of efficiency in actually delivering services.
• Engage marginalized communities: Decisions about how Houstonians can access assistance are both an early indicator and key determinant of how equitable Houston’s recovery will be. While bumps in the road are understandable early on, it’s time for the Red Cross, United Way and other leading services providers to establish clear processes for administering 211 and CAN that involve the communities they serve. Houstonians, who are in this for the long haul, must have a voice in every step of the recovery.
• Make case management transparent and predictable: Residents being helped should have basic information about how their cases are being managed, and by whom. Individuals who call 211 should receive direct, real-time, accurate information about services available to them. As the
“The quality of our recovery will be determined by how well we meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable in our community. Houston is a big-hearted, innovative city.”
administrators of CAN, the Red Cross should begin developing an accessible user interface, using models from other cities and systems. The Red Cross, along with the United Way, should undertake this effort without delay.
The quality of our recovery will be determined by how well we meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable in our community. Houston is a big-hearted, innovative city. These still-early stages of recovery should reflect that spirit. Hirsch and Adams are members of West Street Recovery, a grass-roots mutual aid group in Northeast Houston, which participates in the HOUSTON RISING coalition fighting for equitable recovery from Harvey.