Houston is no longer America’s fattest city.
And it turns out we’re also not America’s meanest city when it comes to homeless people. We’re #7.
Here’s the report from KHOU-11:
A report by the National Coalition for the Homeless ranks Houston as the seventh meanest city in the country when it comes to the way it treats its homeless.
The report focuses on specific city measures from 2005 that have targeted homeless persons, such as laws that make it illegal to sleep, eat, or sit in public spaces.
Life on the streets is where an estimated 14,000 people in Houston claim a patch of concrete as home.
“Some people feel safer out here on the streets than in a house, but not all of us. Some of us want a roof over their heads,” said Anthony Scott.
When we talked with Anthony Scott last year he was hopeful. The City of Houston was working with various downtown groups to provide emergency housing for the homeless.
But homeless advocates in Houston say it’s all window dressing.
“Civility ordinances, pahhandling ordinances to me is like taking a shotgun and shooting at a fly,” said Anthony Love with the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County.
Houston must work harder to be #1 at something!
UPDATE (01-12-2006 – 9:10 am): Michael Berry is discussing this issue on his radio show today, KPRC-950 (9 – 11 am).
UPDATE 2 (9:23 am): A representative from the organization that put out the study was scheduled to talk about it on Berry’s program. Apparently, they decided Berry’s show wouldn’t be 100% free, uncritical publicity, and backed out. So much for conversation about the issue, as opposed to simply repeating talking points.
