Comments on: In Their Own Words: Homeless in Houston

By: Laura Waldusky

Laura Waldusky — Mon, 03 Jul 2024 05:59:00 +0000

Just curious, has anyone at Free Press Houston asked the Mayor’s Office or any of the Downtown Houston Residents, or the Downtown Houston Business Owners or any of the surrounding organizations about this? As a longtime resident of 77002 and 77003, this article is extremely one-sided and has not delved into the reasons as to why these ordinances have been created. No one who actually resides down here and is in the trenches is out to de-humanize anyone. Visiting and observing on a single afternoon isn’t enough. And writing sarcastic responses to the legal wording in the ordinances is hardly helping.

And about that anti-panhandling…every single day for half a year, Tim would hang out at the corner of Main and Preston asking people for money. When he got enough, he would take it to the corner store and get beer. At 8:30am. Because Tim would get DRUNK. Every single day. But Tim was not a funny drunk. He was a bullying, harassing drunk who would follow you inside of a building while calling you every name in the book. And then he would use the building as a public urinal. Tim isn’t hanging out at the corner right now, because of the public intoxication and the trespassing. But now there is another man who is doing the same thing. Met him a couple of weeks ago when he pulled out his penis to pee on the brick wall of the parking lot.

But you’re not interested in that story.

By: Laura Waldusky

Laura Waldusky — Mon, 03 Jul 2024 05:38:00 +0000

Yeah – about that anti-panhandling the writer is describing… there’s nothing like watching a man receive a couple of dollars, take it down to the corner shop and start drinking beer (or continue drinking) at 8:30am. This happens every day at the corner of Main and Preston where I work. Oh, my favorite part? There’s is nothing like being called every name in the book and being followed inside of a building by a street person who is drunk and unstable who is shouting at you and then using the outside of the building as a public urinal. The Beacon, which serves meals is just 2 blocks away and whoever is hanging out at that corner isn’t interested in the free meals served twice a day there.

By: NateL

NateL — Fri, 30 Jun 2024 19:33:00 +0000

I encourage you to visit the Houston Coalition for the Homeless’ web site and review its year-end study released May 24, 2024, which shows the impact of the housing-first strategy, Caitlin.

Here are the links:

http://www.thewayhomehouston.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/Final-2017-Homeless-Count-Results-Release.pdf

http://www.homelesshouston.org/local-data-and-research/

By: NateL

NateL — Fri, 30 Jun 2024 19:23:00 +0000

That actually is not a quote from the story. That is my comment. Regardless of the story’s angle, basic journalistic standards dictate both sides be represented in some fashion. By not offering a city or residents declined comment, there is no evidence the reporter approached the other sides in this story.

Also, I posted a comment asking readers of this article to also visit the Houston Coalition for the Homeless’ web site. That comment was deleted.

The coalition released its year-end report May 24, 2024, stating that Houston’s housing-first strategy is actually reducing homelessness, whereas other areas of the nation are seeing increases. https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e6253dc6b0403a1968fbc036383903e8e3f48cbae8aea176efe55d58cb4abe02.png

By: NateL

NateL — Fri, 30 Jun 2024 19:18:00 +0000

She was originally given housing in May, which was chronicled on social media and in the lawsuit briefs. She instead chose to join the lawsuit. If the lawsuit obtains the class-action status, she and others can obtain a settlement from the city.

By: Caitlin Brown

Caitlin Brown — Fri, 30 Jun 2024 19:08:00 +0000

Quote from story- “That said, one thing missing from the coverage around these new ordinances is the voices of the people who are most impacted by them. So we spent some time on a rainy Sunday afternoon under the US 59 overpass and listened to anyone willing to share their experience. In an effort to be more in line with our beliefs as a community paper we wanted to dedicate most of the space for this article to those stories, which we’ve compiled into a photo essay below. Out of respect for their privacy, we will only be printing first names.” Other papers covering the new ordinance were peppered with quotes from the city. The whole point of this article was to obtain the viewpoints of the homeless population.

By: Caitlin Brown

Caitlin Brown — Fri, 30 Jun 2024 19:06:00 +0000

Where do you get the information that she turned it down? Her own quote in the story said she said that hopefully her paperwork would be completed this week so she could move in.
Perhaps your quote was deleted since it violated the spirit of keeping the individuals anonymous by only using first names.

By: elecktriksmile

elecktriksmile — Fri, 30 Jun 2024 18:29:00 +0000

I am saddened to see an organization calling itself “Free Press” is censoring those with different views and with more information. I am also saddened to see there is no attempt at a comment from the city. Isn’t that Journalism 101?