Kelly Young, CEO Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County, the lead agency of The Way Home 

“Everyone has a right to access public spaces. The problem arises when people must reside in a public space because they have literally no other option. The answer is clear: everyone needs a place to live. Today’s ruling won’t get us there; what we need is adequate funding for permanent housing. In Houston, we have seen a 33% decrease in unsheltered (street) homelessness since 2020. We were able to achieve this by offering permanent housing options to people living in encampments. Since 2021, we have closed more than 120 encampments and helped more than 500 people get on the path to housing. In total, we have housed more than 32,000 people since 2012.” 

Sarah Kahn, CEO of Housing Forward, the lead agency of the All Neighbors Coalition in Dallas and Collin counties

“Today’s ruling does nothing to support our community to resolve homelessness. We will remain laser focused on strategies that provide meaningful solutions – those that end homelessness for our neighbors and address public health crises on our streets. Since 2021, our proven rehousing strategies have housed more than 10,100 people and led to a 24% reduction in unsheltered homelessness since 2021. We will continue to work every day to ensure no one has to sleep outside in our community.”

Mandy Chapman Semple, Managing Partner, Clutch Consulting Group

“The Court’s ruling falls short of offering real relief to the crisis of unsheltered homelessness, as will the subsequent onslaught of laws to criminalize sleeping outdoors. Texas has had such a law in place since 2021 and these two Texas cities are proving that it is rehousing with the services people need to stabilize and recover, not criminalization, that reduces unsheltered homelessness. We cannot enforce our way out of this crisis, but we can meet this moment. No one should have to sleep outside. At the same time, people have real concerns about the health and safety of encampments in their communities. Housing people directly from encampments as Houston and Dallas are doing, allows cities to quickly close those sites and manage public spaces long-term. This is the remedy everyone is seeking.”