Houston leaders discuss plan to combat chronic homelessness

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- A bill passed by state lawmakers could serve as a tool to address homelessness in Houston.

Senate Bill 1164 has yet to be signed by Gov. Greg Abbott, but at least one city council member in the Bayou City is already voicing concerns.

Council Member Tiffany Thomas fears this potential law could create an environment where, as she described, people are just snatched off the street.

SB 1164 was one of many homeless-related topics discussed yesterday at City Hall during a meeting of the city's Housing and Affordability Committee.

According to the City's Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security, Larry Satterwhite, the way the law is currently written, someone is usually "in crisis" before a law enforcement official or someone can intervene.

He said the new law would allow them to look at specific individuals, take their case to a magistrate judge, and proactively provide them with what Satterwhite described as "real help."

However, there was concern that the police could use the law to remove people from the street against their will.

"These are individuals who have been in and out of our system over and over again. They go into crisis, they are stabilized, and then they are turned right back out. These are not just one-offs where you just show up and someone looks mentally ill at that time or is going into crisis," Satterwhite said.

This was all discussed on Monday as part of a larger plan in the city to combat homelessness, which the city describes as a public-private partnership.

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