Homelessness 101: Street Guide v. Help Card
Communications Admin • October 26, 2018
Two critical resources offered by the Coalition for the Homeless to those who need help are the Street Guide
and the Help Card. These two resources are similar in that they both offer information on local assistance programs; however, the Street Guide is meant act as a primary resource to those experiencing a literal homelessness crisis, and the Help Card should be used as a secondary resource by people once in a shelter or housing program, or even by case managers looking to connect their clients with support services.
The Street Guide
was created in collaboration with Rice University’s Design for America program
in 2015. Rice DFA approached the Coalition about creating an easy to use and maintain resource that would provide the most critical information to people facing a homelessness crisis. The result was a simple printed document that is just a single page front and back, but has a wealth of information on local homeless assistance programs that includes addresses, hours of operation, and even nearby METRO routes. Every program listed on the Street Guide is connected to Coordinated Access and has assessors on-site to conduct housing assessments with those experiencing homelessness. Housing assessments help us gather information on a client’s unique situation and make a referral to the right permanent housing program to help end their homelessness.
For those who may not have access to the internet, copies of the Street Guide
can be picked up at the Coalition for the Homeless’ offices, just call ahead first so we can be sure to print the most recent and up-to-date copy of the guide. Many partner agencies also print Street Guides and keep them in their offices and lobbies.
The Street Guide is often handed out by street outreach partners of The Way Home, if someone experiencing unsheltered homelessness doesn’t want to seek shelter right then and there, the outreach teams can leave a street guide with the individual in case they want to seek services later. Community members can also print and keep copies of the Street Guide
on hand in their vehicles or bags, to hand out to those they see who may be experiencing homelessness out and about in the Houston region, as long as they feel safe doing so.
The Coalition’s other resource, the Help Card, is more robust resource with less critical – but still important! – resources. The Help Card is a tool that can be utilized not only by formerly homeless individuals, but case managers, partner agencies, and even the public.
The Help Card
has a unique background and was first created by students volunteering at HOMES clinic
after they found themselves searching for the same resources over and over again. They first published their work in resource book format in 2002 as a fundraiser for their organization. Healthcare for the Homeless of Houston
(HHH), a parent organization of HOMES Clinic, eventually took over the project and created a services card that was then passed on to the Coalition. From there, the Coalition was able to transform the services card into what is now known today as the Help Card. The original format was a single page, front and back, with contact information of wide variety of homeless service providers in our community.
Because of the evolution of technology and the constantly changing information in the homeless service system, the Help Card was put into a digital format for more efficient use which would allow information to updated as needed. This also created an opportunity for the Coalition to increase the amount of information contained in the Help Card and create a more streamlined process for keeping the resources up-to-date. This integration was a collaboration between the Coalition and UT Houston Medical Student, Camille Keenan. Camille approached the Coalition independently about a way to digitize the Help Card. She also independently applied for and received an Albert Schweitzer Fellowship grant to be able to complete the project. Even though Camille is now doing her medical residency in the Dallas area, she is still always on standby and willing to help the Coalition keep the Help Card up-to-date!
Case managers, social workers, and nonprofit employees can use the Help Card to provide those experiencing homelessness with up-to-date information about the resources that are available to them. Help Card resources can be tailored to a specific individual and what their needs are at the time. Community members can also use the Help Card as a way to learn more about the homelessness in our area and find out how to get involved with one of The Way Home’s direct service partner agencies.
The Help Card
lives on the Coalition website. The Help Card is searchable by zip code and there is a wide variety of categories featured on the Help Card such as Drop-In Centers, Hospitals, Clothing, Income/Job Training, just to name a few. Each category then has a sub-category that lists the names of organizations who provide that specific resource. Once you click on the name of the organization, the Help Card lists the phone number, website and short About section to learn more. The Street Guide can also be accessed through the Help Card.
Both the Help Card and Street Guide are essential resources utilized by the Coalition and partner agencies of The Way Home. While the Street Guide is used for those experiencing literal homelessness, the Help Card has a multi-functional use and is essential for those who have recently been placed into a program and are looking for additional resources. To access either the Street Guide or the Help Card, click here.
Houston, Texas (February 24, 2026) – This week, the nonprofit Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County (CFTH) is leading the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count & Survey (“PIT Count”) to determine the number of people experiencing homelessness across Houston and throughout Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties. “We may see a slight uptick in the number this year, but we have a plan,” said Kelly Young, President & CEO of CFTH. “With the support of the City of Houston, Harris County, and private funders, we have been piloting new interventions to shorten the length of time people in our region experience homelessness. With adequate funding, we look forward to expanding those interventions to help people regain lives of self-determination.” CFTH coordinates the Houston region’s public-private homeless response system, The Way Home . Through this collaboration, The Way Home partners have successfully housed over 36,000 people since 2012. CFTH will release the results of Houston’s 2026 PIT Count in the summer, following independent verification by an epidemiologist. These findings will provide insight into how factors such as increases in the cost of living and the end of federal pandemic relief funding have impacted homelessness in our region. More information about the 2026 Point-in-Time Homeless Count & Survey The PIT Count offers a snapshot of how many people are experiencing homelessness in our region on a single night. This year, the “night of record” is Monday, Feb. 23. CFTH determines the number of people staying in shelters on that night by pulling records electronically from the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) . The unsheltered count will be conducted on the following days, from Tuesday, Feb. 24 to Thursday, Feb. 26. More than 400 volunteers and staff of local nonprofit service provider partners will canvass the three-county region to survey people living unsheltered, using an app on their mobile devices. Results from the 2026 PIT Count will help gauge the progress of The Way Home’s ongoing collaborative efforts. It will also help CFTH and partner homeless outreach teams understand geographic shifts and target their outreach throughout the year. The PIT Count illuminates specific programmatic gaps and provides additional information needed to allocate resources most efficiently. The PIT Count is a requirement of the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD) for the annual Continuum of Care (CoC) funding process. HUD furnishes the majority of funding for programs that provide housing and supportive services to people experiencing homelessness in the region. In 2024, HUD granted more than $71 million to the Houston area.
As lead agency to The Way Home Continuum of Care (CoC), CFTH is working with local governmental entities to advocate on behalf of people experiencing homelessness to ensure their needs are being considered as winter weather affects our region. We will make frequent updates as we receive information. Please check back often for the latest information. Last updated 02/01/2026 at 12:00 p.m.
While our system has helped thousands of people move from homelessness to housing, this year’s results highlight the need to broaden our approach.
