Houston approves $2M toward operation of new homeless navigation center

"There was a need for the Navigation Center in order to get people off the street," Turner said at the Sept. 14 meeting.

In addition, Turner said the first year of the center's operation will serve as an evaluation period. He vowed to shut the center down if it does not "live up to the promise" of not burdening the community.

The lone vote against the center came from at-large Council Member Letitia Plummer, who said she appreciated Turner's vow, but said the metrics by which the center is being evaluated need to be more clearly communicated to residents in the area.

"That would give them a little bit of ease, because then they have a checklist," she said.

However, Plummer said she supported the center's mission and thought the city was moving in the right direction in terms of addressing community member concerns.

The funding agreement got support from District B Council Member Tarsha Jackson, who represents the area where it will be located. Jackson said she would be watching the pending formation of an advisory board to make sure the Fifth Ward community was well represented.

"Hopefully once [the] advisory board comes together, we can start talking about ... what we want this navigation center to look like and other programs around area," she said.

Other services at the center will include transportation to and from the site, 24/7 security, three meals a day, laundry and one-on-one case management. The center will not take walk-ins, and clients will have to be referred by homeless agencies or first responders.

The center will also include two classrooms that will be available to the greater community.