BEAUMONT, Texas — Help could be on the way for growing groups of people who are staying under overpasses, like the one at Interstate 10 and College Street in Beaumont.
New homeless shelters near downtown Beaumont are already being worked on, and they should be open and operational by the end of the year, Beaumont City Councilman Mike Getz told 12News.
He said the two shelters can house up from 25 to 35 people and will waive any housing fees after three days.
"We want to be able to provide facilities for the homeless to go to as a shelter," Getz said.
Those new facilities come in the form of two homes at the corner of McFadden Ave and Forrest Street.
Getz said the Salvation Army owns the two homes. It's what the organization previously used as homeless shelters before they ran out of funds. Now they're fixing the homes back up and hoping to open them up to those experiencing homelessness soon.
"With the increase of our homelessness population in Beaumont, we have decided to try and bring those back as a shelter," Getz said.
Getz said city officials and these non-profits saw the location as a prime spot to open new shelters.
"The Salvation Army plans to collaborate with Some Other Place and Henri's Place, which is right across the street. The people will be able to get their meals from Some Other Place. They would be able to take a shower. They would be able to get their meal at Henri's Place," Getz said.
Getz pointed out a new bill signed by the governor banning homeless encampments on public land in Texas.
According to Getz, the bill requires officials at the local level to find somewhere for the homeless to go. Getz said this is what the project is all about.
"We don't want them out there panhandling and camping on public property, and we're trying to take steps to make sure that doesn't happen,” Getz said.
Getz also said Beaumont City Council plans on meeting with the local homeless coalition Thursday afternoon at city hall to discuss the increasing homeless population and panhandling issues.