Local Leaders Back Energy Corridor Homelessness Partnership

Mayor John Whitmire, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones and Houston City Council Members Tiffany Thomas, Amy Peck, Mary Nan Huffman and Twila Carter have announced their support for an innovative homelessness partnership spearheaded by the Energy Corridor District that is helping individuals experiencing homelessness move toward long-term stability.

Launched in 2025, the Energy Corridor Housing Stability Program brings together the Energy Corridor District, West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM) and Harris County Constable Precinct 5 to address homelessness through coordinated outreach, intensive case management and rapid housing placement.

The Energy Corridor District Board of Directors allocated $60,000 to launch the program, which has helped 55 individuals and families achieve self-sufficiency. Rather than relying solely on emergency shelter availability, the program identifies people living unsheltered through law enforcement outreach. WHAM social workers conduct comprehensive assessments and provide temporary hotel accommodations for participants who enter the program. WHAM then connects participants with employment assistance, behavioral health resources, transportation, food assistance, housing navigation and other services designed to help them achieve permanent self-sufficiency.

Houston City Council Member Tiffany D. Thomas has allocated $30,000 to bring the program into District F.

“As elected leaders, it is fundamentally our responsibility to take care of the least of these,” said Thomas, who serves as Chair of Houston’s Housing and Affordability Committee. “Oftentimes, many associate homelessness with people under the overpasses downtown, but housing instability extends much further. In West Houston, we see invisible homelessness—people living in the woods and trees without access to basic services like proper identification. I am proud to support this program as part of my office’s ongoing outreach, building on initiatives like Westside Mobile Care Day, to continue to provide compassionate care and real results to our community.”

“This initiative shows the increased collaboration between the City of Houston, Harris County, the Energy Corridor Management District, and West Houston Assistance Ministries to help our homeless population to take the initial steps to overcome their individual situations,” said Mayor John Whitmire. “Houston’s strong unity really makes a difference toward this important mission of providing better living conditions to Houston’s homeless individuals and families. While we know that there’s much more work to do, we are surely moving in the right direction,” Whitmire continued.

Council Members Amy Peck (District A), Mary Nan Huffman (District G) and Twila Carter (At Large Position 3) have also contributed funds to the ongoing effort, as has Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones through her Precinct 4 Foundation.

“The Energy Corridor Housing Stability Program is proof that partnership is the key to driving Harris County families forward. I am grateful to the Energy Corridor District, West Houston Assistance Ministries, Constable Allbritton, the City of Houston, and local businesses owners, for identifying a problem and working together to implement a solution that immediately improves people’s lives. Through strategic investments and strong partnerships, our goal is to prevent and ultimately end homelessness in our community.”

“This partnership demonstrates what is possible when government, nonprofits, law enforcement, and the private sector work together with a shared goal,” said Energy Corridor Vice President Zachary Miller. “We believe this program is replicable across Houston, and we would be very happy to share our findings with any other groups that are interested in taking a similar approach.”

“This program has allowed us to help qualified individuals get into safe, temporary housing while we assist them to get back on their feet. It’s a labor of love, but we are always in need of additional partners and resources, and we are so grateful to our partnership with City leadership, the Constables, and our local hotels,” said Neysa Gavion, Head of Case Management for WHAM.

The organizations also announced plans to engage additional community partners—including hotels, businesses, nonprofits and neighboring districts—to explore opportunities to expand and fund the program.

A recording of the news conference is available at cp4.HarrisCountytx.gov/video.