Nearly 2,000 cases were resolved through Homeless Court in 2012, and many of the infractions that bring individuals to Homeless Court include moving violations such as failing to display a valid driver’s license, and non-moving violations such as possession of an open container and even jaywalking. To most of us, these are fines we pay, and then move forward. For a homeless person who rarely has means to pay; however, these violations have the potential to build and stick with them, often leading to warrants, and preventing them from being able to find employment and/or housing. Homeless Court acknowledges that this “Catch 22″ is not beneficial to anyone, and helps homeless individuals move toward their goal of exiting homelessness.

Recently, one of the judges at Homeless Court, Judge Imelda Castillo, approached Scot More, Project Manager with the Coalition, with the request to tour local homeless service organizations, to gain a deeper understanding of the client experience, from street to housing. On this tour, Judge Castillo visited St. Joseph House, SEARCH Homeless Services, Star of Home Mission, and Harmony House clients at 1414 Congress, where she saw not only the strengths of each of these programs, but the collaboration between agencies with the goal of ending chronic homelessness.

Betty Nunnally, Senior Vice President of Programs at Star of Hope Mission, was impressed that Judge Castillo took time out of her busy schedule to better understand the people she sees in court, and felt that her dedication and desire to help them in a meaningful way was truly evident during her visit at Star of Hope. “Homeless Court gives our clients a chance to take care of past legal issues and at the same time gives them an opportunity to move forward,” said Nunnally. “We were very honored for Star of Hope to be included in Judge Castillo’s tour, and based on her investment and interest, it seems to me that she is willing to go above and beyond to help the people she sees in court.”

Another of the sites visited was SEARCH Homeless Services, and likewise, they were thrilled to be included on the tour as well. President & CEO of SEARCH, THao Costis, said, “We were pleased by the judge’s interest in wanting to learn more and understand the bigger picture of the services available, as well as the challenges that our clients face.” Costis was most excited to share her organization’s stellar case management staff, and their ability to maximize resources that are available in the community, such as Homeless Court, to the benefit of their clients.

One hope shared by both Star of Hope Mission and SEARCH Homeless Services is that Judge Castillo’s experiences on the tour will give her a greater understanding of the individuals that appear in Homeless Court, and that she will be more committed to the process – and that seems to be evident. Scot More shared that Judge Castillo’s plan is to take what she learned on this tour to other judges who sit on Homeless Court and share her experiences with them, so they too can see the full continuum of services offered in Houston, and understand just how hard it can be to exit homelessness.

More also shared that one of the goals of Homeless Court is the education which takes place. “Through Homeless Court, these individuals learn to trust the legal system. It’s an education, learning that they shouldn’t avoid their issues, and knowing what to do if they are in a similar situation in the future.” However, More feels that the most important result is the emotional benefit; the weight lifted as a result. “Most people want to do the right thing, but they don’t necessarily know how,” said More.

Homeless Court is benefitting homeless individuals not only in the obvious ways: legally and financially, but in seemingly invisible ways as well, through acknowledging their participation in a program and teaching them that systems can work for them – including the system of homeless service providers in Houston. With Judge Castillo’s participation in this tour, our system has become that much more robust and even more capable of serving our homeless neighbors.