Digital Literacy United States Project #49448

Community COVID Housing Program- 5,000 Home

by Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County

Project Report | Feb 20, 2025
Reflecting on the Impact of CCHP

By Kourtnei Gartman | Grant Writer

Reflecting on the Impact of the Community COVID Housing Program

December 2025 effectively marked the conclusion of the Community COVID Housing Program (CCHP). Over the past five years, CCHP has provided Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Rapid Re-Housing (RRH), and Diversion services to over 18,300 individuals, significantly reducing homelessness in our community.

Key Accomplishments:

Encampments Decommissioned: Since 2021, 128 encampments have been successfully decommissioned, directly housing over 800 individuals in stable housing options.
Navigation Center Success: Over 500 people have enrolled in the Navigation Center, gaining access to immediate shelter, case management, and pathways to permanent housing.
System-Wide Improvements:

17% overall decrease in homelessness since 2020.
33% decrease in unsheltered homelessness since 2020.

A Story of Transformation: The Ramirez Brothers

Among the many lives changed by CCHP, the story of the Ramirez brothers stands out. Once living unsheltered in an encampment, the two brothers faced extreme hardship, with one being an amputee requiring specialized accommodations. Through the Navigation Center and our PSH program, we were able to secure a two-bedroom, handicap-accessible unit, ensuring their long-term stability and independence. Their journey underscores the profound impact of housing-first solutions combined with tailored support services.

The Next Phase: Achieving Equilibrium

Your support has made CCHP a success, though our work is not done. As the landscape of homelessness evolves, CFTH continues to adapt its approach to meet emerging needs.

Our next goal is equilibrium—where housing availability, services, and sustainable funding align so that individuals can be rehoused within 30 days of becoming homeless, and no one has to sleep outside while awaiting assistance. With the rising number of newly homeless individuals due to economic hardship, combined with those requiring specialized mental health and substance use support, our partnerships and services must be more dynamic to properly meet their needs.

Our Four Key Areas of Focus Moving Forward:

Housing Our Most Vulnerable Neighbors: Partnering with specialized service providers, like the Sobering Center and Harris Center for Mental Health, to support individuals with severe mental health and substance use challenges.
Working Upstream and Strengthening Systems: Enhancing coordination with healthcare, criminal justice, and foster care systems to reduce the inflow into homelessness.
Stacking Services for Streamlined Support: Creating centralized access points to efficiently connect individuals to shelter, services, and permanent housing solutions.
Permanent Housing as the End Goal: Ensuring long-term stability by securing housing and fostering community reintegration.

The Path Forward

Your support of the CCHP program allowed us to prove the kind of innovative thinking and impact that is possible with flexible funding and built the foundation for the next phase of homelessness response. With continued collaboration between the city, the county, and donors like you, equilibrium is within our reach. Together, we can ensure that every individual has a place to call home and the support they need to thrive. Please join CFTH in the next phase of our work, because we need you.

Thank you for being a part of this journey. Your generosity has been instrumental in transforming more than 18,000 lives and shaping a future where homelessness is rare, brief, and non-recurring.

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Oct 25, 2024
Partnering to Enhance Outreach Efforts

By Kourtnei Gartman | Development Project Contractor

More than 7,700 people are currently housed through The Way Home housing projects. To build on the progress made by the Community COVID Housing Program, CFTH is constantly seeking innovative ways to reach and support our community's most vulnerable populations.

Recently, we embarked on a unique and impactful collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) to conduct homeless outreach along Sims Bayou—a mission that highlights the importance of partnerships in our ongoing efforts to end homelessness.

The idea for this joint operation was born during a routine outreach session on Sims Bayou when our team met members of the Coast Guard. We realized that partnering with the USCG Coast Guard would allow us to access hard-to-reach areas and provide critical services. Molly Permenter, a Coast Guard veteran on our outreach team, said, "It was a great way to connect with other agencies and reach people we couldn't normally access by foot."

The Coast Guard's expertise and resources enabled us to explore densely wooded areas, small overpasses, and bridges—places where people experiencing homelessness often seek shelter. On these missions, we discovered "hotspots," — areas where homelessness is particularly concentrated — and encountered individuals coming out from under overpasses to receive water and check- in. Mapping these locations will facilitate further outreach efforts, potentially on foot, if conditions allow.

Jack Skinner, Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard in Houston said, "Our overall goal with this outreach effort was to help provide a public service to our local communities while expanding our partnerships and helping to take outreach members to places that they normally would not be able to reach by land. Engaging with the homeless and with the outreach team members has been rewarding and eye-opening for our crews."

Skinner also highlighted some challenges: "One challenge we face is trying to transfer team members ashore from our boats. It can be very challenging when the banks along the bayou are overgrown and not conducive to easily jumping over to land to contact the homeless. Another challenge is that our boats can’t always get close to shore, and we are still a good way away from being able to talk with people."

The participation of partners, including precinct 2 Constable Sargent Perez and Hope Haven Housing Navigator and Assessor Johnathan Spears, further enhanced our efforts. This multi-agency collaboration highlights a fundamental truth: ending homelessness requires united efforts. By leveraging each other's strengths, we can reach and support those in need, no matter how hidden. The journey along Sims Bayou reminds us that we are stronger and more effective when we work together.

Thank you to all our partners, supporters, and community members who make initiatives like this possible. Your commitment helps us reach those who need it most and brings us closer to ending homelessness in our community.

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Jul 3, 2024
2024 Point-in-Time Count Results

By Kourtnei Gartman | Development Associate

Program Progress: The Coalition for the Homeless (CFTH) is pleased to report significant achievements under phase 2 of the COVID Community Housing Program. More than 8,100 individuals have been successfully housed or diverted from homelessness, surpassing our initial goal of serving 7,000 people. This success underscores the impactful contributions of you, our supporters, whose generosity has made a profound difference in the lives of families and individuals in need.

2024 Point-in-Time Count Results: In January of this year, CFTH conducted the Annual Point-in-Time Count & Survey of People Experiencing Homelessness (PIT Count) across Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties in Texas. This critical survey provides essential data that guides our efforts to enhance and support our local homeless response system.

The PIT Count on January 22, 2024, identified a total of 3,280 individuals experiencing homelessness in the tri-county area. Key findings from the survey include:

A notable 33% decrease in unsheltered homelessness compared to previous years.
45% of unsheltered individuals reported being homeless for the first time, highlighting the urgency of targeted intervention strategies.
Continued progress in reducing overall homelessness, with a 17% decrease observed from 2020.

These results illustrate the critical impact of our ongoing initiatives and the vital role of sustained community support in combating homelessness. CFTH extends its heartfelt appreciation to all donors, partners, and supporters whose generosity and dedication have enabled us to achieve these milestones. Your contributions have helped restore hope and dignity to individuals and families facing homelessness.

However, our progress remains vulnerable without additional annual funding to sustain and expand our efforts. As the lead coordinator of The Way Home, CFTH remains committed to advocating for increased funding and resources to bolster our homeless response system.

For further insights and detailed findings from the 2024 Point-in-Time Count, please refer to the full report in the link below.

Together, we can build a future where everyone has a safe place to call home.

Links:

https://www.homelesshouston.org/2024-pit-count-results

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