Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Three more names have been added to a slowly growing list of homeless coalition advisory committee members.

On Tuesday council approved adding Clifton Batiste and Ladonna Anderson to the group at the request of Councilman Willie “Bae” Lewis and Michelle Hamilton was added by Councilman Donald Frank.

The three members join previously appointed or reappointed members Keith Richard, Jada Fobbs, Catherine Richard, Dr. Rosalyn Queen, Melanie Ned, Patricia Henderson, and Dr. Nina Stelly.

The city’s homeless population has been a topic of interest for council and residents for some time now.

Councilmember Thomas Kinlaw III and Mayor Pro Tem Doneane Beckcom began discussion on ordinances against camping in public places in the city. This comes in connection with the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn a ruling from an appeals court clearing the way for cities to enforce bans on people sleeping outdoors in public.
Beckcom and Kinlaw both spoke with the new city attorney, Roxann Cotroneo on the issue, they said.

Cotroneo plans to research the issue and present council with options during the city’s next meeting during executive session, she said.

Mayor Thurman Bartie said he has met some of the homeless individuals and learned they are not Port Arthurans but that council, as leaders, is called to be custodians of human life.

Bartie was in the mayor’s seat when the city and former attorney dealt with a large homeless encampment on Ninth Avenue.

“It was a process because of the property owners,” Bartie said.

Then COVID came along which stymied the city’s bid to remove the individuals staying there. Eventually a court injunction was signed and the individuals removed.

Beckcom provided information on what the city can and can’t do and what they’ve tried to do in dealing with the issue of outdoor camping.

“It’s a multi-step process because we have to start with who owns the property. Is it city property? Is it private property? It is a DD7 easement? There’s a lot of hoops we have to jump through to figure out who does this property belong to,” Beckcom said.

The research doesn’t stop there. Sometimes the city must go through a real estate agent or a broker to help. One place to start is the Jefferson County Appraisal District but some records are not accurate, she said.

Once the owner is located then the city can get law enforcement involved to handle a trespass warning.

“So we’re trying to streamline the process to be able to find out what we can do to help these people move to places that they can be and get them out of places that they shouldn’t be in.”

A woman who had experienced homelessness, Faith Bodle of Beaumont, shared her story of how, to no fault of her own, she and her two children became homeless in 1985. This occurred in Colorado.

Afterwards she had a stroke and after weeks of therapy was able to walk. She eventually was able to find housing.

Her reason for addressing council was to tell of places where prefabricated manufactured housing is available for those experiencing homelessness.

The homes are folded up like a box and shipped to the location to be placed. The homes start at approximately 361-square feet and come with some amenities. The cost is about $60,000.

Bodle said the program is a leg-up not a hand out as the individual would sign a 3-month lease and abide by rules or face eviction. There are classes for balancing a checkbook, apply or a job and other tools to help the person become independent.

There is a facility in the city to help homeless individuals — Port Cities Rescue Mission, located at 535 Atlanta.

But the facility has rules for the safety of those living there and some people do not want to abide by those rules.

No decision was made by council on setting dates for meetings of the coalition.