Texas Town Delays and Weakens Plans for a Homeless Committee, Again

When they say everything is bigger in Texas, you would hope that would also mean a larger sense of compassion. But when it comes to dealing with homelessness, that's not always the case. The City Council of Lubbock, Texas, has once again stalled on proposed plans to establish a homeless committee to address the needs of the city's homeless population at a time when outside temperatures have already begun to plummet.

While the council recently agreed to create a homeless committee, a plan put forward by Councilman Todd Klein, the latest council session ended with a vote which severely weakens the committee's potential to help the homeless. It also delayed appointments for the group's members until December.

Klein, the only council member who opposed the changes and delays, argued that removing a city liaison from the 17-member committee and only giving the group one year to develop a plan is no way to establish meaningful and lasting solutions to homelessness in the area.  I agree. I can understand if other council members are anxious to find ways to address the issue, but rushing the process and setting short-sighted deadlines is not only unrealistic, but likely to lead to temporary fixes. Or worse.

Pressure on the City Council to take faster and more aggressive steps came in large part from the staff at downtown Lubbock's Mahon Library, where homeless individuals have long sought refuge. Eager to displace those who take shelter there (the city currently lacks a permanent shelter), employees have posted warning signs that property will be confiscated, a move that only serves to displace the homeless to other parts of town rather than addressing the issue directly. Worse yet, two ordinances have been proposed to the city council — banning the storage of private property on public areas and setting a curfew — which would in effect criminalize homelessness in Lubbock and slap offenders with unreasonable fines that will likely never be paid.

But all is not lost in the great state of Texas. The South Plains Homeless Consortium of Lubbock has just launched the "One Less for the Homeless" campaign, which asks contributors to donate $5 that they would have otherwise spent on lunch to the Lubbock Rescue Mission. The funds will go towards purchasing sleeping bags, hats, coats, gloves and socks, and any money left over will go towards creating a permanent shelter. Now we're talking about constructive solutions to approaching homelessness. But the faith-based community and other non-profits can't do it alone.

Appointing a homeless committee should be an immediate priority for the Lubbock City Council, and should be delayed no longer. While it is important that the committee include members from faith-based groups, social work organizations, downtown redevelopment representatives and a current or formerly homeless person, as the plan currently states, it is vital that the group also include a city staff member.

The City Council should be actively connected with efforts to address the issues faced by the city's homeless, as they too, are members of the community. With an estimated 755 homeless individuals living in Lubbock (and actual numbers likely far exceeding the count), the City Council cannot push responsibility onto non-profit groups whose resources are already stretched thin. And, ultimately, the committee should be given more time to develop lasting strategies to end homelessness in Lubbock, instead of relying on fines, jail time and draconian ordinances that ignore the root causes of homelessness.

Watch this incredible video from the Lubbock Homeless Shelter Project and sign our petition asking the Lubbock City Council to immediately appoint an effective homeless committee!

Photo credit: Gruenemann