Staff Spotlight: Brandon Oliver
Aubry Vonck • March 4, 2021
The staff at the Coalition is second-to-none. This month, we invite you to get to know Senior Associate of Outreach Brandon Oliver.
Q: Where are you from originally?
Houston, Texas
Q: What do you love most about Houston?
The diversity in culture and how we always pull together in the most important times, especially after a disaster.
Q: What made you want to work in the area of homelessness? Can you tell us about your past experiences working in the homeless response system?
I’ve always had a heart for the homeless, my grandmother fed homeless clients downtown for years. She would make tacos and we would pass them out! This is was the beginning of something that I had no idea would eventually turn into a career. About six years ago, I had a friend who worked for Star of Hope and she had a brand new outreach position open. I applied and it was the best decision of my life.
Q: Can you tell me a little about your role at the Coalition and what it entails?
I’m a Senior Associate of outreach and we currently are focusing on the unincorporated areas of Harris County where there are limited social services that are being provided. We go out Monday through Friday to engage with clients. The hope is that during these interactions, we will build enough rapport with them to ultimately walk this journey with them until they are housed.
Q: Tell us about your experience during the winter freeze.
It was one of the most humbling experiences of my life! Seeing so many people in need, not all homeless, but mostly homeless all gathered in one place was surreal. I staffed the George R. Brown Center warming shelter along with the mayor’s office, Office of Emergency Management, and other social service agencies. I believe we were able to touch many lives during this time and prayerfully we will house some clients because of that week-long engagement!
Q: What is the most inspiring part of your job?
Being able to touch, reach and encourage people that there is more for them beyond the streets/shelters.
Q: Do you have any hobbies outside of work?
I sing!
Q: What makes you proud?
When I’m able to walk with someone through their homeless journey; the day they get their keys is always one of the proudest moments for me!
Q: If you were a superhero, what would your superpower be?
I kind of already feel like one at times because some of the obstacles that come up against us in outreach and our clients have obstacles that can seem impossible to overcome but we always find a way! If I did have a superpower, it would be the ability to make people happy no matter what they are facing. I’ve dealt with all kinds of abuse as a child but today I stand tall knowing there was and still is more for me. I would want to give them that ability to overcome through joy and peace.
Q: Tell us one fun fact about yourself!
I have a wife, two children, and two dogs. We all live together, along with my mother, under one roof!
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.
