Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo discussed the broader structural issues that contribute to homelessness in our community while also recognizing what the county is doing now to address homelessness. Judge Hidalgo also shared her support for the COVID-19 Homeless Respite and Rehabilitation Center. Mayor Sylvester Turner shared his appreciation for the “compassionate response” the city, county, and Coalition are engaging in as well as his support of the Housing First approach, calling it “morally and fiscally responsible.”
"Pancakes & Solutions" 2020 World Homeless Day Virtual Brunch
Aubry Vonck • October 12, 2020
On Saturday, October 10, 2020, the Coalition for the Homeless recognized the ten year anniversary of World Homeless Day. Our traditional in-person fundraising and awareness event was transitioned into a virtual brunch, allowing individuals to stream the event from the safety of their homes. This unique format also means that our virtual brunch is still available for streaming at any time, increasing the accessibility of this event for all. Donations are still encouraged—we are halfway toward our online goal of $25,000 and could use your help getting there!
Board Chair Lance Gilliam welcomed the audience, providing a short history of the Coalition and remembering Rabbi Karff. Coalition President/CEO Mike Nichols reminded us all of the unique role of the Coalition as lead agency to
The Way Home, particularly our role in the
Community COVID-19 Housing Program (CCHP).
Introduced by Coalition VP of Development Sara Martinez, Keynote Speaker Chris Gardner discussed his unique perspective on the impact of COVID-19 and how powerful friends, family, and community can be in times of struggle. He inspired us to remember “the power of one” and the impact each of us can have on our community.
Our very own Manager of Landlord Engagement Ashlie Young spoke a stirring poem, a portion of which can be found below:
“Could you imagine?
Living in a world for years with no access.
Basic necessities were not within an arm’s reach.
Roaming the same community that seems to bypass you every week.
Feeling unheard and unseen.
Tugging at your pride and dignity.
Banking on your life for the chance of just one possibility
Not a hand up, but a heart out.”
We were also thrilled to honor Alan Watkins, former Chairman of the Board at the Coalition, as our 2020 Community Advocate Honoree. In President/CEO Mike Nichols’ words, “Alan is a true example of leadership on tackling social issues and achieving results.” Thank you, Alan, for your continued commitment to our community.
Mike finished off the presentation with a call to donate. Read his inspiring words and consider making your gift today.
“I know the stories of direct services – serving turkey dinners on Thanksgiving, handing someone a warm coat – those are the heartwarming stories that open pockets wide. The work of the Coalition is a little but harder to illustrate, but it culminates when the partners of The Way Home work together to give someone the keys to their own apartment. Their new home. And, thanks to the Coalition we’ve been able to do that more than 19,000 times since 2012.”
Thank you to our speakers for generously sharing their time, our sponsors for ensuring this event was free to attend, and all who viewed and shared our virtual brunch. We appreciate the part you have played on our journey to make homelessness brief, rare, and non-recurring.
As always, thank you to our generous sponsors for their ongoing support of the Coalition.
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.
