A new partnership between the Energy Corridor Management District, West Houston Assistance Ministries (WHAM), local law enforcement and local government officials will start to allow city officials to use hotel rooms as a temporary solution for people experiencing homelessness while connecting them with services to help them find permanent housing.
How it works
WHAM will partner with hotels in the area to provide temporary housing for 2-4 weeks while individuals work with the ministry to find housing, employment, food and other needs, according to city officials.
Zachary Miller, vice president of the Energy Corridor District, said the ECD board supported the idea and funded it with $30,000 when the program first launched in August 2025. Based on its early success, the district's board has authorized $60,000 annually to continue the program.
“[It’s a] program that would allow first responders to assess an individual,” he said. “And if they met certain criteria, we place them in a participating hotel where a WHAM case manager would meet them and help them begin the process of rebuilding their lives.”
About 61% of participants have secured permanent housing through the program, Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones said.
Some background
The program began after Energy Corridor officials and Precinct 5 deputies identified a need for alternatives to the traditional response to homelessness, which they said can involve citations and jail.
Miller said a Precinct 5 deputy encountered a woman and her 5-year-old son panhandling along a freeway feeder road. The woman had fled a domestic violence situation and had run out of money for a hotel. The deputy spent about six hours trying to find an available shelter bed for the family.
The experience highlighted a shortage of shelter beds in western Harris County, Miller said.
“In many circumstances, what people need is a safe place to stay where they can recover, and not a jail cell,” he said.
One participant, Akila, whose last name has been omitted due to privacy reasons, said she was evicted in January and struggled to find another place to live before being referred to the program. WHAM helped her find housing and provided assistance with her security deposit, giving her time to get back on her feet.
“A hotel room may provide immediate safety, and that is important, but it cannot be the end of the conversation,” WHAM CEO Sonya Scott said.
Also of note
Briones said Harris County has invested about $100 million in homelessness-related programs over the past five years. Precinct 4 also contributed $60,000 to the pilot program.
Houston city council members Amy Peck, Mary Nan Huffman, Tiffany Thomas and Twila Carter have also contributed to the program from their district funds.
Housing and Community Development Director Michael Nichols, who leads the city's homelessness response initiative, said the city has not invested in the program yet, but from 2021-2025, they invested $525,000 to WHAM for rapid rehousing, and hopes they can help with funding again.
