KATY MAGAZINE NEWS
December 11, 2021
By Natalie Cook Clark
A local resident warned others on social media after a homeless man threw items at and damaged his vehicle at a Katy Target. The warning has sparked a discussion and concern over Katy homelessness, but a local non-profit says people shouldn’t judge a group over the actions of a few.
Micah Goodman, a Katy resident of 10 years, was heading out of the Target parking lot on Fry Road and I-10 Monday, December 6 around 9:15 a.m. when he heard something.
Homeless Man Throws Items at Vehicles
“I heard a loud thud and thought I had run over something but then looked back and saw a guy throwing stuff at me and he was then doing it to another vehicle,” says Micah Goodman.
Goodman says that the man was obviously homeless and seemed to be on some substance.
He pulled over to look at his car when he saw the man start throwing some wood at a UPS truck. That’s when he called 911. A Harris County Sheriff’s Office deputy was dispatched.
The man disappeared in the parking lot somewhere behind Ihop, but Goodman has since heard that he was picked up by police and later released.
Other Residents Report Similar Issues
Goodman took to social media to warn others about this and the response has resulted in many other Katy families reporting similar issues, including a Katy resident saying that a homeless person broke her windshield from throwing something at her.
“It could have been worse,” says Goodman. However, he has told his daughters not to go to the area by themselves over his concerned about the individual.
Katy Non-Profit Asks People Not to Judge
Tina Hatcher is the executive director of Hope Impacts and hopes that people will not be quick to judge Katy homeless individuals because of the actions of a few.
“There absolutely must be consequences for actions such as this,” says Tina Hatcher, who admits she would have been terrified and upset over the situation.
Hatcher knows who this particular homeless individual is. “He’s been to mental health facilities and in jail but neither are permanent solutions,” she explains.
“Everybody wants them gone,” says Hatcher, “but where?”
Resident Has Seen Homeless Population Grow
Goodman says that over the 10 years his family have lived in the area he’s seen the increase of the local homeless population. He says he’s even heard of homeless people wondering through Katy neighborhoods.
He lives in Nottingham County and often goes for a walk past the bridge under Mason Creek where he has seen many homeless individuals. “One time I called authorities to help a homeless person having a medical issue,” says Goodman.
But the continued increase of population concerns him as it does many other residents who have commented on his social media posts.
“It’s almost to the point where I don’t want to go walking anymore,” says Goodman.
Hope Impacts Has Helped Get 200 People off Katy Streets
Hope impacts is a Katy based non-profit focused on giving hope and dignity to locals facing homelessness. Since Tina Hatcher founded it in 2014, the organization has helped see over 200 individuals get off the streets and into better situations.
Hatcher says that everywhere, not just Katy, is judgmental of the stigma that comes with mental health, addiction, and homelessness.
Hope impacts currently serves around 135 people in area. That is just who they serve, not an account for the area's homeless population. According to Hope Impacts, over 1,000 children are considered homeless in the Harris County and Fort Bend County areas that they serve.
Learn more about Hope Impacts on their website.
“We started services because the saw a need,” says Hatcher. “No one is immune to homelessness. Everyone is one crisis away from being homeless.”
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