The state of homelessness and its impact on Houston-area businesses

Houston – The Coalition for the Homeless completed its annual multi-day count of the homeless population in three districts on Friday.

Downtown Houston was one of the areas included. A local business said the proximity of homeless tents was an eyesore and a security risk for its customers.

Too Sweet Cafe celebrated the grand opening of its third cafe in Trembly Park with a ribbon cutting ceremony. The Cafe Center is less than two miles from the Cafe Center on Commerce Street.

“Ahead of us we had something called a tent city in front of us. And we have big windows, [so] That’s our long-term vision, said Danny Ruiz, General Manager of Tut Suite.

Ruiz said homeless stalls directly across the street from his cafe give customers a negative impression that their safety is at risk. He said that’s not good for business.

“People in the suburbs who don’t really know that city life are afraid to come in,” Ruiz said. “And I’ve gotten to the point where I can go to the car just because someone touches us. I will not say anything against them in any way. We love them. But that’s just the way it is, it gives people who come in that second thought. “

Anna Rausch is the Vice President of Program Operations with the Coalition for the Homeless.

More than volunteers counted and surveyed the homeless population in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties this week to gauge the state of homelessness.

“People who experience homelessness are more likely to be victims of crime than to commit crime, so there are many stereotypes around homelessness,” Rausch said.

In the year The number of people experiencing homelessness in 2022 will drop by 20% compared to pre-Covid levels in 2020, the coalition announced.

Although this population appears to be growing in the city, Rausch said the official numbers from the city will tell in the spring.

“The visible signs of homelessness, yes, it can look like a lot of people here and there, but we’ve seen it, but we’ve taken in over 26,000 people since 2012,” Rausch said.