From my office in downtown Lake Jackson, I can see four
streets through the corner office windows – Oak Drive, Parking Way, South
Parking Place and Circle Way. Children walking home from Lake Jackson
Intermediate, joggers, walkers and homeless people stroll past my office day by
day. Yes, I said homeless people. In Lake Jackson, Texas.
It came to my attention about five years ago that there
was a homeless man who wandered around downtown. He slept under our outside
stairwell at the insurance office for a while, now he meanders through the
streets with a drink in his hand most of the time. I think local stores and
restaurants provide him with free beverages. Since the duplexes across the
street are now vacant I think he sleeps in them when he’s not in jail.
About a year ago another homeless man popped up. He is a
former Brazoswood High School quarterback. His house has been condemned by the
city due to his neglect. There have been several people who have tried to help
him, both financially and with housing accommodations. He sits on park benches
or walks down Oyster Creek Drive with a bag in his hand.
Both of these men seem to have mental instability, yet
are cognizant enough to walk around, eat and find shelter.
Now there seems to be another man who is having trouble
with housing, and he looks to live out of his car. I have seen people coming to
the car helping him with laundry and he disappears for a few days then comes
back. He is younger than the other two and isn’t nearly as visible during the
day.
What or should a community the size of Lake Jackson do
about the homeless? We aren’t Houston where there are hundreds of people
sleeping under bridges or walking around with shopping carts. Larger cities
have shelters and soup kitchens; they have some semblance of an infrastructure
to help the homeless. We have a temporary shelter in the county for the
homeless, but as our area grows it would seem more and more homeless men and
women would appear.
There are probably more homeless in Lake Jackson than
I’ve witnessed, and some might be children. I would like to hope that these
three men aren’t invisible to our city, that someone or some entity is helping
them, but I’m not sure because I haven’t taken the time to inquire. What
happens if tragically we end up with 20 homeless men and women walking around
downtown Lake Jackson?
My guess (and hope) is that these guys are being helped.
That some church or organization or Good Samaritan is providing food or drink
and maybe shelter. But it’s a big challenge for anyone to deal with the
mentally ill.
It might not be an epidemic in Lake Jackson just yet, but
let’s hope we don’t wake up one day to see our city dotted with people who have
no home. The closer that poverty is to the face of people that aren’t in
poverty, the uglier it is. I hope Lake Jackson doesn’t become ugly.
Russell Burnett Jr. is a resident of Lake Jackson. His business is Best Insurance Services. Find it at www.bestinsurancetx.com
