Overview
- City Council approved expanding the civility ordinance across the Greater East End, covering an area from Buffalo Bayou to Capitol and 75th to Chartres, with Abbie Kamin and Tarsha Jackson voting no.
- Municipal-court data show general sidewalk-obstruction citations jumped from an average of about three per month to more than 100 after a July expansion downtown, while civility-ordinance citations rose from about 159 to 244 per month.
- Records indicate just over half of those cited for sidewalk obstruction listed their address as homeless, with some individuals accruing hundreds of tickets and average fines exceeding $200, though many cases were dismissed or fines waived.
- Officials tie the expansion to a new low-barrier navigation center at 419 Emancipation that is slated to open in early 2026 with space for roughly 250 to 320 people and about $37 million pledged for its first three years, with an operator expected to be selected before Christmas.
- The city has promised added patrols, a 9 p.m. curfew at the facility and no lingering outside, as supporters cite neighborhood safety concerns and critics warn the policy displaces people despite only 66 unsheltered counted in the East End in January.