1 minute read

Developing Places with Purpose

METRO’s Tidwell Transit Center will be a key connection point for the upcoming METRORapid University Corridor Project and we want to make it even better.

We’re looking for suggestions on how METRO can unite outstanding transit service with housing, mobility and economic development to help enhance the vibrant Eastex-Jensen community.

Join us at an open house in your area or scan the QR code for more information.

When our homeless response outreach teams first met Curtis, he had been living on the streets for nearly 20 years. He was sleeping in a tent under a freeway near downtown Houston. Following the unexpected death of his mother, he had fallen into a deep depression. A lack of adequate mental health support had led him to self-medication, then drug-related incarceration, then homelessness.

But one day last November, Curtis couldn’t stop smiling. He was moving into permanent supportive housing — his own apartment with a bright blue door. These days, Curtis enjoys watching movies and reading books in his home, which he now shares with a new companion: a kitten named Bella.

In Houston, we believe our most difficult issues, including homelessness, are solvable. We know that people like Curtis are not beyond help, so long as we work collaboratively and strategically to assist them. Our approach to tackling this seemingly intractable problem can serve as a guide to other American cities seeking to address growing homeless populations.