Homeless shelter narrowly escapes closure

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Tonight was supposed to be the last night of shelter for dozens of homeless Houstonians. After running out of money, the Bread of Life "After Dark" shelter was supposed to close Thursday. But they somehow cobbled together enough cash to stay open for a few months more.

If Houston's economy is, as we've been often told, the economic envy of the nation, this is a part of Houston that no one envies. A snapshot away from our shiny skyline are the unmistakable signs of the thousands of Houstonians who live on our streets.

Dana Hogan with Bread of Life said, "At any given time, you will have individuals just camped out either underneath the bridge, on the sidewalks, in this particular area."

It is a block away from the Bread of Life homeless program, where men and women line up to race in for one of a shrinking number of overnight spots. This isn't an easy spot to get.

Homeless man Jeff Griddine said, "It stays full. It's constantly full. It's full now."

In October, Bread of Life was sheltering 150 to 200 homeless men and women every night. When they ran out of federal stimulus funding that kept the program open in October, that number dropped to 50 and it was about to drop to zero.

"There was somewhat of a decision to end the program today," Hogan explained.

But Bread of Life and St. John's Methodist Church came up with cash to eke out another 60 days of shelter, and will take the time to aggressively raise private money. Public dollars for homeless services are tough to come by.

"It's not very optimistic," said Thao Costis of SEARCH Houston. "Homeless services are not a high priority."

Costis runs SEARCH, another Houston homeless aid organization. They, too, lost stimulus money and were forced to cut services there months ago. The downward trend could lead to more homeless on the streets.

"For us to help them plan for, 'OK, where do you want to be in the next week, in the next year?' It's hard for them to even think that far ahead," Costis said.

But on the night that was supposed to be their last, with little money in their bank account, the Bread of Life somehow finds a way to be optimistic.

"As long as we continue to operate on the premise of hope, that we give back to our population and our clients, everything else will take care of itself," Hogan said.

The homeless men we spoke with tell us the Bread of Life really is a last resort -- a final stop before sleeping under that bridge. The Houston Homeless Coalition says the programs that got cut actually helped drop the number of homeless on our streets by as much as 10 percent.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Police: Homeless man found beaten to death in South Houston

  SOUTH HOUSTON, TX (KTRK) -- South Houston police are investigating the death of a homeless man whose body was discovered on New Year's Eve.

Officials said the body was found around 7pm Saturday in the 1400 block of Spencer.

According to police, the 54-year-old man was apparently beaten to death.

The victim's name has not been released. Officials are trying to notify his family.

Anyone with information is asked to call South Houston police or Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.

(Copyright ©2012 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Volunteers serve Christmas breakfast to homeless

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A group of Houston friends are demonstrating the true meaning of Christmas.

This year -- like every year for nearly 20 years -- they're feeding the homeless a hot Christmas Breakfast.

Volunteers started setting up breakfast as early as 5:30am under the Southwest Freeway near Franklin. They also set up for clothing donations.

"It feels good to give back," one volunteer told us.

Houstonian Mike Stiborik started the Christmas breakfast tradition. He doesn't belong to an organization. He just rounds up some friends every year to help the less fortunate.

"We get up early and we complain -- it's 4:30 -- but we get to go home and the house is warm and we have breakfast and we have presents under the tree, but this is their present and I think it makes us all feel a lot better than just sitting at home," another volunteer said.

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Local man helps out homeless for holiday season

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A man named Willie Davis says he's just trying to pass his blessings along and today he did just that.

This holiday season, we have seen so many acts of generosity. For one group of friends, they didn't need a sponsor or an organization, just the spirit of the season and a desire to help.

Willie Davis embraces these strangers as if they were old friends; kindred spirits meeting in a Midtown parking lot.

"I'm here giving back to these people, man, because it's something that just came upon my heart to do," said Davis.

Recently, his grandmother encouraged Davis to think about the real meaning of Christmas, and that's all it took.

"I think it's in the spirit of Christmas, and helping the less fortunate, and we'd like to tell them thank you," said Dawn Jones, who is homeless.

Davis rounded up some friends and co-workers, gathered donations and rolled up on this parking lot. The impact was immediate. For some, it was a warm blanket.

"It's awesome, God bless us all. We're homeless and we need their help," said Kimberly James, who's also homeless.

For others, it was some much needed food. And for Paul Yarbrough, it was something to keep the wind out.

"A jacket with a zipper," Yarborough said.

Tears of joy from a man who admits 2011 has been tough. But when strangers come to brighten the season, there is hope that 2012 may be just a bit better.

"This is the season for giving, not just this month, it's for giving for the whole year," said Davis.

Davis says he and his friends were so inspired today that they plan on getting a head start next year. They want to raise more money and help more people.

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Star of Hope asks for your help for homeless

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- Bone-chilling temperatures could hit Houston later this week and that could prove dangerous for the homeless. But volunteers are stepping up to the plate to help those in need stay warm.

Hank Rush, Star of Hope President and CEO, announced as of Tuesday morning that the mission will switch to a Cold Weather Alert because of the cold front moving into our area.

Star of Hope's "Love-in-Action Van" driven by employees is making its way around town Tuesday with blankets and sandwiches for hundreds of Houston's homeless. The mission says there is an urgent need for men's coats and cash donations.

"We have provided for a record number of homeless this year. But donations aren't keeping pace with the growing need," said Rush. "Help us make someone's Christmas brighter."

The mission says it is seeing more families in need as well.

The Star of Hope says its Men's Center is near capacity now, but that it can offer additional sleeping space on the chapel floor for about 100 homeless men. The downtown Star of Hope Women and Family Emergency Shelter is at its 275 bed capacity with an additional 60-70 women and children sleeping on the atrium floor waiting for a room, and the organization says additional space will be available to those seeking shelter from the cold weather.

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East End residents want homeless out

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- There's a possible expansion of a city ordinance to tackle the homeless problem. Some neighborhoods near downtown want the vagrants out. They're asking City Council for changes to keep people who don't live in their neighborhoods out.

Some are making a push for an amended civility ordinance, but people are split on it. On the East End of downtown, homeless men and women dot the sidewalks. Karen Day admits she knows she's not welcome. "Well, it makes you feel trashy," Day said. As this area, known as EaDo, develops into a more residential neighborhood, there is the inevitable question -- how to coexist with a homeless population that often makes new residents uncomfortable? "It's a lose-lose situation. Really there is no right answer. They're in a situation where can afford to live somewhere, but no place wants them. Still they need somewhere to be," said resident Omar Mejia. Concerned homeowners went to City Hall Wednesday, hoping council members would agree to extend the city's "civility ordinance" to EaDo. "Trash is a major issue, discarded food items; when I walk my dog, I have to take chicken bones out of their mouths," said resident Phillip Bayko. If passed, the ordinance would make it unlawful to sit or sleep on sidewalks from 7am to 11pm. But not every council member likes the idea. "Some of us are one paycheck away from homeless ourselves, so we have to be compassionate ourselves," said Council Member Wanda Adams. Several Houston neighborhoods including downtown already have such ordinances in place. Residents and police admit a civility ordinance won't solve the homeless problem because if it's not this neighborhood, it will be somewhere else. "Unfortunately these people don't have anywhere to go," said Mejia. Residents in East End do have the support of their council member, James Rodriguez. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Advocacy group says Houston-area homeless count up

  HOUSTON -- An advocacy group says the homeless population in one of the state's biggest metro areas has jumped 25 percent this year.

The count is by the Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County. Volunteers also checked homeless numbers in neighboring Fort Bend County.

Coalition CEO Connie Boyd told the Houston Chronicle that the increase in homeless numbers is partly due to the recession. Boyd said Monday that the Texas economy has fared relatively well, but sometimes when people moved to the Houston area to find jobs it didn't work out.

The group's Jan. 31 census found 8,538 homeless people, compared with 6,819 in 2010. The count affects how much social services agencies seek in government help.

Houston is the state's largest city, with nearly 2.3 million people

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Four-alarm apartment fire leaves dozens homeless

  HOUSTON (KTRK) -- More than 30 families have lost nearly everything after an early morning fire roared through a southwest Houston apartment complex Monday morning.

The 4-alarm fire at the Woodchase Apartment complex on Gessner started with a car fire and quickly spread to four alarms. It took firefighters hours to knock it down. Investigators say they are looking into the exact cause of the fire. They say it came from either one of two vehicles -- a Volkswagen or a Ford Expedition -- but it remains uncertain exactly what caused the fire. "I didn't expect this," said Zena Gant. Wiping away tears, Gant can't believe her apartment caught on fire less than 24 hours after she moved in. "A car was in flames, and I tried to run back in the house to get my shoes, but when I looked at it was coming so fast, I couldn't believe it," Gant told us. Gant and her grandsons were among 32 families displaced by a 4-alarm fire early Monday morning. Smoke and flames spread so fast that dozens of residents scrambled out in their pajamas and wondered if their apartments would be spared. "The fire started around 3:08am, went to four alarms at 4am. Pretty heavy fire in several buildings. A lot of residents and a lot of units involved -- there were 20 units involved," said Pat Trahan of the Houston Fire Department. Investigators say the fire started from a car parked at the complex. A neighbor's cell phone video captured the moments just as the flames began spreading to nearby buildings. Several residents also said they heard arguing and loud voices shortly before the car caught on fire. "I walked back into my apartment, opened my patio door, and the security guard was here and other people were here and said, 'There's a fire,' and I looked toward my neighbor's and it started that way," said Adriana Johnson. Arson investigators were already looking through the damage this afternoon. Meanwhile, the Red Cross is helping the displaced families. Most will be relocated within the complex, but residents like Gant just didn't expect to lose everything. "I saw big flames and then I hear 'pow pow pow.' And I grabbed the kids and ran out of the house," said Gant. Arson investigators are checking recalls of certain vehicles to see if that played a role in the fire. Earlier Monday morning Massive flames lit up the early morning sky as a devastating fire destroyed an apartment complex in west Houston, leaving many with nothing but the clothes on their back. What started as a car fire quickly grew to four alarms, spreading and destroying everything in its path. The good news is no one was seriously hurt.

It happened at the Woodchase Apartment complex on South Gessner and High Meadow. The fire left just a shell of the center of the complex.

"I had a lot of electronics and stuff, so it's a lot of money lost," said resident Merdedes Flores. "But oh well."

Flores is one of dozens of people who lost everything they owned to the early morning fire. Her apartment is gone. You can actually see through it from one side to the other.

Sheila Byron's home is also gone, and she hadn't even unpacked her moving boxes.

"Everything, everything because we just moved in yesterday," she said.

The fire broke out just after 3am, waking up residents who grabbed children and pets and ran out.

"All the neighbors were working together," said Flores. "Everybody was helping everybody."

"Only thing I heard was a loud boom," said Byron. "I heard my neighbor say, 'Get out! There's a fire. There's a fire.'"

Firefighters say it started at the center of the complex in a car and spread to several other cars, then to four buildings. The fire was so big and so fast-moving that it took 225 firefighters three hours just to get it under control. It destroyed 28 units and seriously damaged 12 others.

"I could feel, you could feel the heatness all the way over here," said Flores. "That's how hot it was."

Thirty-two families are receiving help from Red Cross volunteers while the apartment complex tries to relocate them to units that were not affected.

One firefighter did suffer a hand injury battling the blaze. At this time, the cause of the fire is not known. (Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more Local »

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Huge apartment fire leaves dozens homeless

 Crews had to pull four alarms just after 9pm and worked to fight the fire for nearly two hours.

  SEABROOK, TX (KTRK) -- Firefighters in Seabrook worked to put out a massive fire last night.

It happened at an apartment complex on Lakeside and East Nasa Parkway. One building was destroyed, leaving 30 people homeless. Crews had to pull four alarms just after 9pm and worked to fight the fire for nearly two hours.

No one was hurt. There's no word on what started the blaze. The Red Cross is helping those who lost everything.

(Copyright ©2011 KTRK-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)

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