THE SALVATION ARMY'S SERVICES ARE HELPING TO ELIMINATE HOMELESSNESS IN HOUSTON

In late August 2017, the wind and torrential rains of Hurricane Harvey swept away more than Rabih’s Houston home—they upended his entire life. Like thousands of Houstonians, Rabih’s hours at work were cut in the wake of the storm, leaving him with little income. He spent weeks living out of and sleeping in his truck. Finally, desperate for a hot shower and a solid, dry night’s rest, Rabih came to the Salvation Army of Greater Houston’s Harbor Light Center & Red Shield Lodge. There, Rabih got more than a hot meal; he got a fresh start. And he learned about the many things The Salvation Army Houston does to combat homelessness year-round.

Hurricane Harvey displaced more than 42,000 people across the state of Texas. But every day, men, women, and families lose their homes to personal disasters including poverty, lack of affordable housing, collapse of social support, drug addiction, or domestic violence.

Throughout 2017, The Salvation Army Houston emergency shelters served 6,568 Houston-metro residents, from veterans to young adults, survivors of human trafficking, and people from the LGBTQ+ community. Demand was so high last year, in fact, that The Salvation Army Houston opened a new facility—the Wayne Bergstrom Center of Hope—in Conroe and instituted a new 30-day solution program to better serve the metro area. The new model seeks to effectively end homelessness by shifting the focus towards housing, and empowering clients to be accountable for their success.

Simply put, Salvation Army Houston knows that the solution for homelessness is housing, and it helps connect their residents to resources, including family, so that they can find ways to increase their income or locate new, affordable places to live. This is accomplished by incorporating regular meetings between clients and case managers, along with teaching life skills, job training, recovery, and health and wellness services. Shelters are alcohol- and drug-free, and violence-free — no weapons, threats, or intimidation are allowed. And overall, there is a strong push for residents to utilize the facility resources and take control of their own situations.

Thus far, the results have been staggering. At the 100bed Salvation Army Houston Family Residence, an emergency shelter for women, children, and families with minor children, the average length of stay has plummeted from 180 to 365 days in 2016 to just 74 days with the new model. Forty-two percent of the exits were to permnent housing, up from 10 percent. And almost no clients returned to homelessness. Meanwhile, the emergency shelter for men also staff used data to effectively connect their residents to housing resources.

There is a popular myth that people choose to be homeless. But the facts are that on any given day, more than 550 Houston children have no place to call home. A third of the people residing in Houston shelters are families. Homelessness knows no boundaries of race, gender, or age. In 2017, the Salvation Army of Greater Houston served 648 young adults and 645 military veterans. They also helped 989 clients find housing placements.

The Salvation Army gives these Houston residents much more than just a warm meal and bed. They also empower these resilient people with the tools, support, and, most importantly, confidence to help themselves and better ensure that they are never again without a place to call home.