BEAUMONT, Texas — Organizers are pleading with Beaumont officials to view the humanity behind homelessness.On Thursday, it was about coming to the table to brainstorm solutions.
The Beaumont council heard from several nonprofit organizations about possible partnerships and what's working elsewhere.
The mayor's homeless coalition opened with a 14-point checklist on the different problems facing the city.
“How do you know that tomorrow your address won't be Some Other Place? How do you know that your address is not going to be at the bridge? How do you know that your address is not going to be your car, parked at the metro," said Taffy Richards, owner of House of Pearls.
Problems like the lack of shelters, panhandling, and COVID-19 were presented, but there were also a lot of ideas for solutions.
"In the mid-1990s, in conjunction with the City of Beaumont, we started to work to try and really eliminate homelessness, and it's obvious we have not been successful," said Paula O’Neal, Some Other Place executive director.
Mike Getz is the chairman of the mayor's homeless coalition.
"To create signage that discourages citizens from giving money to people standing on the street corner, but instead give their money to charity that helps," Getz said.
Getz brought forth several topics, like shelters, panhandling, and the lack of an ability to enforce new laws that prevent public camping, like House Bill 1925.
It makes it illegal for homeless individuals to camp in a public place. Representative James White (R-Hillister) helped get the bill passed.
"I guess you would call it the overpass, under freeways, and it has created some issues as it relates to community safety, community decency," White said.
Because the underpass belongs to the state, it's up to the Texas Department of Transportation to prohibit the encampments.
"I’m going to reach out to TxDOT myself, our local engineer, and ask that they put up some no trespass signs at their locations so that our police would have the authority," Getz said.
Concerned residents and nonprofit leaders said aside from enforcement it's time to tackle the root cause to keep people off the streets once they're housed.
"You’ve got to have some sort of identification to get anywhere, to get a hotel or to get a job anything. So, my main concern is to get them an ID first,” said Beaumont resident Jerome Alexander.
"So, I would like to see a homeless resource center established in our community, because we are more than primed for that," said Shilo Carr, founder Love Lunch Sack Ministry.
"Not any homeless person only has one problem, they have a multitude of problems," O’Neal said.
Councilman Getz is hoping the council will second his motion to set up a workshop to continue searching for ways to help.
Homeless shelters are currently being built to be finished by the end of the year in Beaumont.