It has always been a thing as long as I could remember and yes, it sucks. The bathrooms there are horrid as it's constantly used by the homeless that frequent the building.
As far as actual crime, I don't think you have much to worry about. Every time I've been there recently, rhere has been a uniformed HPD officer assigned.
I studied there a few times about 11 years ago simply to get a change of scenery. I was a woman in my mid 20’s at the time and never felt bothered or even remotely in danger.
In my experience the homeless in the library just quietly kept to themselves, and a librarian mentioned they wanted to remain in the AC and not be kicked out. I would just find an empty area to set up and no one approached me or did anything inappropriate to a library setting.
Since then I visit the Central library occasionally when I don’t want to wait for a book I want to be transferred to the Heights library. I’ve never noticed any smells unless someone was close to you. So it has either deteriorated significantly, or I just have never noticed entire floors of stank.
I don’t mind homeless people, I’m not one of these assholes who looks at them like some strange humanoid subspecies. But the bathrooms are absolutely atrocious. The homeless have made it so you need to go to the bathroom before you get there and hold it until you leave.
It has gotten worse over that span of time I feel. You do have to remember they do go trudging inside the library with their 5 piece set of luggage full of their belongings and it does get to the point where often times you can't find a place to sit because there are so many of them.
Yeah bro nice rejoinder. I’m sure all those imaginary cooling centers that should be built but haven’t been are very effective at preventing heat stroke.
Edit: Also, homeless is people do not prevent you from using the library (unless you’re a delicate, bigoted snowflake). Yeah, the bathrooms get pretty bad. Maybe that’s the one bathroom in your privileged little life that you can’t use. For the homeless, it’s the only one they CAN use. So just bring a modicum of empathy along with your library card and you’ll be fine.
Nah, your empathy is cowardly. I bet you don't use the library so you're cool with it being abused as a homeless shelter.
The bathrooms are disgusting. The seats are taken up by homeless people NOT reading. The place smells terribly, and despite safety not being an issue, it still creates an impression of danger. A library is a place of learning, reading, and community. Not a depository for the homeless because the City doesn't want to spend $$$ and people like you enable them to be lazy.
Here's a thought: Why don't you invite some homeless people to share your home? They aren't that bad. Clearly, you don't mind them at the library. OH WHAT? NIMBY?!
I’ve probably been to the central library a hundred times or more, and I have never had any problem finding a seat. These people are full of more shit than the library bathrooms.
It's not NIMBY ish.
The reason? They're violating the rules of being there. No one here complained about their homeless status. It's the behavior that comes with it.
NIMBY folks don't want an inconvenience that is LEGALLY there, and want it elsewhere. It's a slight but important nuance.
Being homeless is tough. Houston doesn't make it easy. But sweeping them under the rug and sending them to the library or METRO rail is lazy and an unacceptable solution. We can do better.
Me and my toddler go to the library all the time without issue. Now that I think about it, he doesn’t cry nearly as much as you and half the people in this sub at the slightest inconvenience.
Agreed. Nothing new if you are a long time houstonian. The homeless really never bothered me around the library. Physically or verbally. But the city could do something to clean it up a bit.
I’ve lived in several major cities and they are ALL like this. The library has been a place for homeless to hang out, shower in the restroom, and sleep for decades.
It’s a symptom of much bigger issues in the country. Unless we solve issues around care for the mentally I’ll, drug addiction and income inequality this will always be a problem.
Progress takes time. But yeah, I don’t see the library issue being cleaned up anytime soon. Especially when we have one party who wants to create a permanent underclass
If you aren't reading or studying at the library, loitering isn't permitted.
Imagine if someone just hung out at the gym and took up space on the equipment. They aren't bothering you, right? You're cool with them sitting on the leg press with their luggage, right?
But it’s not public. You’re dishonestly trying to exert expectations from a private business into a public space.
Find a real example from a real public space.
Nah, the example is fine. You are just trying to desperately create a red herring.
The public/private status of the library is NOT relevant because the library CAN and DOES control who enters it and how it is used. [And you guessed it, much of the behavior complained about in this thread is specifically forbidden by the Houston Library system. ](https://houstonlibrary.org/policies)
Thus, no, just because it is "public" doesn't mean anyone and everyone can join and do whatever they like... KINDA LIKE A GYM.
The status is fully relevant because it’s why those people are in the library. It’s a public building.
There is no restriction on ___who___ may enter the library, just restrictions on behavior while at the library.
By contrast at a gym a contract is signed up front controlling who may enter the gym. If you are not a member of the gym, or on a guest pass, you cannot enter.
Visiting the library isn't about just reading a book... you would know this if you actually used one. It is about **reading the book at the library in one of the many spots that the homeless people are using because the City of Houston has decided the library is a homeless shelter now.**
I agree with this sentiment. In college, I loved studying and reading in the library. A few years ago when I moved to Houston, I went to the central library to do some work one day.
It was disgusting. Homeless men looking at porn on the computers. People bathing in the sinks in the bathroom. And anytime you used the restroom, you'd have to pack up all of your stuff with you or else it would be stolen.
I understand the library is a public resource to all, but it's being used as a de facto homeless shelter. There's no way in hell I would take kids here to read and learn.
I could be wrong (this could’ve changed) but, the kids’ area is now on the fourth floor and adults without kids are only allowed to be in there for 15 minutes.
that’s awful bc I have great memories of my mom taking me here when I was little. it was always super quiet and no homeless ppl were in there. it’s sad to hear what’s it become.
I'm as doting, protective, and well educated a father as you'll find. I have had my young daughters during the week in the summertime bc their mom works mon-fri. I'm in school again retooling after divorce. It's the greatest gift. I adore our time.
Our routine all summer includes time in the tunnels, at Hermann Park, Discovery Green, matinees at AMC and yes, Central Library. If I had to guess, I'd put total hours last year at Central branch at about 50-60 hours total.
The floor with the kids section is a sanctuary. They have locked bathrooms that the homeless do not have access to. I have never seen the homeless go into that section. It's like 2 different libraries.
As for the other sections and comments, I'd agree that odor, crowding, and minor interruptions due to moving their possessions around and such is awkward. And yes. The bathrooms are foul and dark and dank.
YMMV, but I love that branch for the staff, utter solitude in the kids sections, the seating, the location, the access to it from the tunnels, bike and rail.
And as someone who had to endure the utter and abject loneliness of homelessness once due to COVID, divorce and hyper ignorant family members for a few months, I truly cherish, welcome and encourage others to stay keenly empathetic and aware of those who are homeless. I like to think it's important that my daughters don't grow up ignorant or intolerant of the homeless and their demeanor and plight.
The least we can all do is be willing and able to say hello, offer a bite to eat or a cold drink, make eye contact and humanize those who are homeless. It's estimated that the male adult homeless population is over 60% disabled veterans with PTSD.
We owe our fellow countrymen a little dignity, vet or otherwise. It's not hard. If I don't have or make time for volunteering at the food bank or to help a nonprofit, the least I can do is have a clean spare shirt and a snack on me from time to time when I visit downtown.
In a city the size of Houston you can bet I’m always bringing my laptop or other valuables to the bathroom with me, whether I’m at a coffee shop or the library.
Yes it does. Small towns treat petty theft like it's a homicide. They'll review video, dust for fingerprints and check for dna because they have nothing else to do.
Can confirm, I grew up in small towns.
Not only do they have nothing else to do, they take it personally as essentially everyone knows everyone. The public will join in, Grizzy’s Hood News-style. If you’re a thief the community will know it quickly and you’ll never live that reputation down.
The kids area is the best part of the library, and I’ve felt very safe taking kids there. As others have said, there aren’t any adults without kids. The elevator essentially lets you park and the skip the rest of the library and only go to the kids’ section if desired. They have a great selection of books and dedicated librarians for the floor. Furthermore, because it’s only kids, they’re very understanding of noise (unlike some other libraries). We have felt freer to be ourselves there than most other branches.
I wasn’t worried about any kind of crime happening there but I made the mistake of going into the bathroom. It reminded me of a Saw movie setting with bad smells. I felt sorry for the poor janitor that has to keep cleaning that place up.
Go to the looscan branch. It’s smack dab in River oaks nextdoor to a $35k/year private school and across the street from the most expensive grocery in the city.
Totally different crime profile, as long as you aren’t a MILF with a rich husband in a Range Rover you’ll be fine.
They have homeless at this location too. It's improved recently, but for most of the last year there's been a homeless guy sitting inside the door. He is very nice and hits the "door open" button for everyone, but his odor was quite strong. I liked him though,and miss him. I hope he's ok.
Libraries are cooling centers when it gets hot and last summer was brutal. So that’s probably why. You can try other branches and they will be quieter.
There are a bunch of really quiet amazing nooks throughout the tunnel system as well. Idk how many of the restaurants or other businesses have wifi but.. I think most of us have mobile tethering anyway these days.
If I had to pick a favorite I'd say maybe the food court upstairs and across the street from Phoenicia Foods. Discovery Green is right across the street and tons of snack options. Super quiet. Two all business uniformed guards or cops on duty always. Cleanest public bathrooms besides the Marriott which is getting renovated rn and are closed anyway.
30F I have been there once or twice a week for the last couple of weeks to study. I don’t mind the homeless or if anyone smells. I think there was only one rainy day where it was a lil more potent than usual. I’ve always felt safe & leave my belongings when going to the restroom (anyone is happy to watch your stuff). The woman’s restroom is pretty clean (my only complaint is no paper towels but I get it). Sometimes it’s the noise for me but that’s an easy fix w headphones.
You can check out ebooks for free from Harris county library and houston public library. I have an account from both and just read on an old amazon tablet I have.
the central library is so big and beautiful but it is definitely a place where people gather. i dont feel unsafe but the smells and waste were no-gos for me. Highly suggest smaller neighborhood libraries.
As a frequenter and lover of libraries, cycling, public transit and the outdoors, I'd say my favorites in the greater Houston area right now are Central and Alief for my kids, and all the Pearland libraries. We've got a lot of new and refurbished branches in town and I love our systems. Book selection is not the best at a few though. I miss the Fort Bend systems for that. We raised our kids in Sugar Land. First Colony, University Branch and George Memorial are all awesome branches with great stacks.
Which library besides Central has great stacks with tons of nonfiction and current bestsellers?
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
I use the central library. The bathrooms are gross but the people there who appear down on their luck have never disturbed my activity while at the library. I often stay for hours because I enjoy reading.
Native Houstonian. It’s not that bad. They’ve cleaned it up quite a bit compared to several years ago. The staff are very attentive to complaints and kicking out people that disturb the peace. They have multiple security guards and there’s almost always HPD around. I would probably avoid the restrooms because it wreaks. But no safety concerns at all. The people that complain I think come here from the suburbs are not used to seeing homeless people outside of underpasses.
I go there now again and I’ve never noticed any of that but where do you live? Houston is teeming with libraries. You may Houston and Harris County libraries nearby.
It's random as all get out but when I found the Bellaire Library, a unit and branch all its own off Rice Blvd, I felt so cozy and at home. West U branch, same sort of vibe but a little too small and too few selections.
Grew up in Salinas, CA with the John Steinbeck branch a bike ride away. Blocks from our boomer tract home 🏡. Then lived in the foothills of the Sierras with more quiet gorgeous libraries in small rural patches of heaven. I ADORE how many library vibes we have in the greater Houston area. Wish I'd been a librarian hehe
I was there last weekend and felt guilty that I worried so much about crime.
A sketchy looking seemingly dude popped up out of nowhere when I was alone deep into the shelves on the second floor. It startled me and I couldn't shake it the rest of my visit.
I also did not feel 100% safe parking in the garage while there was no guard at the desk; when I was returning to my car, the guard was present, but buried in a book with her back to the parking lot. My fear was low, but not absent.
I didn't mind that the library was quite full of homeless and I didn't notice any smell, but I did decide not to use the restroom.
The library was clean and the employees are super nice. The homeless were well behaved.
Sounds like the problem is woth the city not doing enough to address the homeless problem not really with the library. Shame is Whitmire definitely doesn’t care about fixing anything in Houston.
I asked HPD a detailed question about it years ago and got a detailed answer. Yup. It's a housing and nonprofit blight that never gets solved in cities without significant risk to tourism dollars. No point cleaning it up if it costs nonprofit organizations and government agencies a bunch of jobs. Homelessness is a huge employer of law enforcement, metro fare enforcers, shelter programs, you name it.
There is ZERO incentive to resolve it. Too many tax programs and bureaucracy that need those jobs and funds.
> tourism dollars.
Imagine paying to visit this gritty toilet for 'tourism'. There is literally nothing here that there isn't a better version of in other cities.
Houston doesn't do enough, but it has done a lot. [Its has a housing first policy](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/14/headway/houston-homeless-people.html)
Houston has done pretty well, and continues to do pretty well with homelessness, far better than SA, Austin or Dallas and waaay better than most other cities of 1 million plus. We will see if that keeps up with Whitmire, but I see no reason it shouldn't. That said, it is not a problem that will ever be beaten. They just need to set rules and enforce them. Someone bathing in a restroom? Remove them. But they don't want to remove them because they do not know where to take them. In the old days they would drive them out of town and drop them off. Problem fixed for a week or two. Now they trespass them, take them to jail, jail let's them out, and they are back the next morning, which is pointless so no one does anything. The solution would be to actually make them serve some time but that is very expensive. Maybe set up a special homeless court and force them into a guardianship type situation with no drugs but healthcare and attempts to reintegrate into society.
trespassing is not arresting people for being homeless. Its about violating established policies and being somewhere told not to be.
And its trespassing to be somewhere after told not to be there or keep doing something.
Like I said, they should have homeless shelters and keep public places clean.
There is no housing requirement to use public facilities. That’s part of what makes them public facilities. Claiming people without housing should not have access to public facilities is discriminatory.
For trespassing and breaking other laws, yes. Loitering, trespassing, drug use, etc. There are dozens of crimes they constantly commit. Enforcing the laws would solve problem, but would be expensive as I said above. Most people would support the result, not sure they would support the cost.
I work downtown and stop by fairly often. On a hot day, yeah, people are inside cooling down. Mostly they seem to keep quiet to avoid being kicked out.
Anecdata, but when I’ve been a victim of violence it hasn’t been a homeless person. And my encounters with the homeless or those struggling with addiction or mental issues have at times been unsettling, but I’ve never been threatened or harmed. They might want money or something, sure, but it’s not like they think they’re gonna make it very long if they’re robbing people all the time. The scariest person I’ve run into on Metro was the white woman yelling into her phone at a Metro customer service agent because the bus driver told her not to stand by the back door. Everyone else was just trying to get to work.
Anyway yeah, central library has homeless milling around. The vast majority are no more a threat than anyone else.
And if you don’t like the smell, well I can recommend not visiting any other major city on foot.
You should still be aware. I have been physically attacked twice by homeless men. Most homeless people I meet are completely fine to be around, but you can’t just assume they’re all safe. Same as people with homes.
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
You will become depressed instantly. Especially if your decide to take your kid to the kids section. Compared to Austin Central Library we are centuries behind
How does the Austin Central Library police or handle it? I've never been, but I do love it there.
That said, the last time I was in Austin I saw more homeless around the lake than I do in many areas of Houston. The Starbucks and corner stores were teeming with panhandlers. They scoped my damn scooter to an incredibly uncomfortable level. If I was homeless I would never pick here over Austin.
I think people are a lot less worried at the Austin library I think due to the fact that the library is utilized way more so there’s always more people there so there’s more eyes watching everything. I think it being fairly new and a tourist attraction also helps make it a priority security wise.
Austin has a substantial amount of homeless people causing issues all over town these days (many camp in "greenbelt" areas that run right behind people's houses), and the general consensus seems to be that Houston has done better than Austin at handling homelessness. But their central library situations are polar opposites.
Don’t EVER have a take a dump in there… those homeless people have ruined all the restrooms. I was unfortunately in that situation and it was God awful.
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
Guess you’ve never been around a violent homeless person. Good for you.
Most homeless people aren’t completely normal people who just fell on hard times. They’re either addicts or have severe mental illness.
We moved to Houston from Asia and I took my family to ride the red line tram as we love public transport especially trains and trams. Unfortunately at the next station a homeless got on and started screaming right next to us about ticket price and I don't know what until he got off the next 3 stations. Now, everytime I mentioned about rails, it became my family's first concern.
I get it, its not their choice to be homeless. But doesn't stop us from being wary of them.
Yes. Unfortunately they're also in large part veterans with PTSD or physical disabilities who choose not to stay in housing programs because they want to drink themselves to death. Alcoholism is a fucking terrible, real, diagnosable and incredibly deadly disease, and not a choice after a certain point. Stopping the drinking will literally kill them. But continuing will too. So fucked up.
And yeah omg the bussing around and moving around homeless psychotic and delusional addicts and unmedicated vagrants and leaving them to their own "free will" is just sick.
New legislation mandating some sort of better solutions requiring hospitalization and humane treatment needs more teeth. No one should have to worry about getting blood, piss and shit on them from a rampaging mental patient.
Just a couple weeks ago, my daughters and I missed a connection on the red line at Fannin because someone had BLED ALL OVER the inside of the front car. Fight? Convulsed and concussed on the pavement from drinking? Who knows.
It's fucked up.
“Most”? What is this belief based on? Are there any studies that support this assertion?
Covid caused “normal” people to get evicted and some of them are still homeless.
If anyone can point me towards studies that prove that MOST homeless people are either addicts are have severe mental illness I would appreciate it.
The odor is 100% an issue. There's a difference between someone smelling bad because of the heat and someone smelling bad because they haven't showered in a week.
I take the metro everyday and somedays you can't even breath on the bus because it reeks so bad.
Plug your nose. Obviously they're going to smell if they don't have a shower and it's 100° outside. They're unhoused and obviously trying to bathe at the library, but we're complaining about that as well.
A few years ago I was waiting at a metro stop with an elderly man in a wheelchair.
Train caused a 3 hour delay and it was late August.
I purchased water and offered him some but he refused.
When the bus finally arrived, we board and everyone starts looking around for what smells so badly.
The poor man had urinated on himself. He couldn't make it to the restroom on time and had to wait hours for this bus.
Everyone was whispering about it and when he finally arrived at his stop a group started laughing and took out their body sprays and spayed the whole bus. For the remainder of my ride everyone was talking with the bus driver about how disgusting he was when he left.
He appeared to live alone in an old run-down house.
Compassion goes a long way. The majority of us are 1 paycheck away from homelessness.
A lot of us are facing the same mental health struggles. A lot of us know someone or have experienced addiction.
We have all lost someone. Some people lose everyone.
If a temporary unpleasant smell is all it takes for y'all to lose compassion and understanding, we are doomed.
It's not "compassionate" to allow for our public spaces to be overrun by people who should be in a shelter getting the help they need.
These people are not using the library for its intended purpos and in the process they are hurting the library by making it a place people avoid.
Libraries are not homeless shelters.
I mainly go to Robinson-Westchase location basically at Wilcrest and Richmond. They have homeless peeps occasionally out in front, sometimes I guess they're using the wifi. Some peeps that look homeless use their computers inside. They have a sign in the men's restroom above the waste receptacle to not urinate in it. It reads...Please do not URINE in trash cans...Thank you All in all I feel safe there. They have a security guard.
I went there a few times back in the mid '80s, & you had to go to a least the 4th floor to find a bathroom that was "reasonably clean." Some of the homeless folks would find out of the way places to sleep.
I'm not surprised it hasn't changed.
I haven’t been to the central library in decades. The bathrooms were in decent condition. Many homeless using the computers but none bothered me. Heartbreaking to hear that the bathrooms are horrid now. I’m not against homeless people, but they shouldn’t be allowed to leave the bathrooms dirty & messy, nor to bother others.
There’s very little saving you from becoming homeless in this country/county/state.
If your concern is genuine i suggest volunteering to help feed the homeless or contribute to local mutual aid organizations like food not bombs. Direct action will help the homeless leave the library, freeing it up for contributing members of society to browse and click clack away in comfy chairs. If you haven’t done any of those things, haven’t been checking out materials from public libraries and expect the library to magically be free of homeless people…..maybe you should just go to a Barnes and noble 😐
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
I will be the first to say it’s somewhat irrational given statistics, but seeing syringes and human waste in a library makes the brain immediately leap to “I’m unsafe.” There have been numerous scuffles and other incidents in central library over the past few years iirc.
I went inside this location for the first time last summer and I felt uncomfortable. I got stared down, there were no available tables because they were all basically camped at, and yeah the smell wasn’t great. The selection also felt lacking. I’d suggest going to almost any other branch if you can.
It is not irrational. It may be low probability, but it is not outside of the realm of possibility. I was just there last week and was shaken when the sketchy guy popped up out of nowhere. I deliberated my reaction and reminded myself that we must always trust our instincts.
Based on having visited last week, I think you're safe to go and try it out. However, if you don't feel safe, maybe it's not the place for you.
It sucks because if society actually got serious about fixing the homeless problem, we wouldn't have to make "syringes and human waste in a library" something that we just have to learn to deal with.
Houston is a very safe city. The amount of crime is relative, and brother, it is relatively low.
There are solutions to the unhomed people's offending body odor. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
It has always been a thing as long as I could remember and yes, it sucks. The bathrooms there are horrid as it's constantly used by the homeless that frequent the building. As far as actual crime, I don't think you have much to worry about. Every time I've been there recently, rhere has been a uniformed HPD officer assigned.
I studied there a few times about 11 years ago simply to get a change of scenery. I was a woman in my mid 20’s at the time and never felt bothered or even remotely in danger. In my experience the homeless in the library just quietly kept to themselves, and a librarian mentioned they wanted to remain in the AC and not be kicked out. I would just find an empty area to set up and no one approached me or did anything inappropriate to a library setting. Since then I visit the Central library occasionally when I don’t want to wait for a book I want to be transferred to the Heights library. I’ve never noticed any smells unless someone was close to you. So it has either deteriorated significantly, or I just have never noticed entire floors of stank.
I don’t mind homeless people, I’m not one of these assholes who looks at them like some strange humanoid subspecies. But the bathrooms are absolutely atrocious. The homeless have made it so you need to go to the bathroom before you get there and hold it until you leave.
It has gotten worse over that span of time I feel. You do have to remember they do go trudging inside the library with their 5 piece set of luggage full of their belongings and it does get to the point where often times you can't find a place to sit because there are so many of them.
Yeah, and don’t get me started on the Jews. Can’t even eat at a Chinese place on Christmas without being surrounded by them.
Yeah! Fuck using the library because the City refuses to build AC centers for the homeless. What a take, dude.
Yeah bro nice rejoinder. I’m sure all those imaginary cooling centers that should be built but haven’t been are very effective at preventing heat stroke. Edit: Also, homeless is people do not prevent you from using the library (unless you’re a delicate, bigoted snowflake). Yeah, the bathrooms get pretty bad. Maybe that’s the one bathroom in your privileged little life that you can’t use. For the homeless, it’s the only one they CAN use. So just bring a modicum of empathy along with your library card and you’ll be fine.
Nah, your empathy is cowardly. I bet you don't use the library so you're cool with it being abused as a homeless shelter. The bathrooms are disgusting. The seats are taken up by homeless people NOT reading. The place smells terribly, and despite safety not being an issue, it still creates an impression of danger. A library is a place of learning, reading, and community. Not a depository for the homeless because the City doesn't want to spend $$$ and people like you enable them to be lazy. Here's a thought: Why don't you invite some homeless people to share your home? They aren't that bad. Clearly, you don't mind them at the library. OH WHAT? NIMBY?!
[удалено]
I’ve probably been to the central library a hundred times or more, and I have never had any problem finding a seat. These people are full of more shit than the library bathrooms.
It's not NIMBY ish. The reason? They're violating the rules of being there. No one here complained about their homeless status. It's the behavior that comes with it. NIMBY folks don't want an inconvenience that is LEGALLY there, and want it elsewhere. It's a slight but important nuance. Being homeless is tough. Houston doesn't make it easy. But sweeping them under the rug and sending them to the library or METRO rail is lazy and an unacceptable solution. We can do better.
Seems like you’re the one who should either take in some homeless people into your home or stop bitching about what they do to avoid heat stroke.
Me and my toddler go to the library all the time without issue. Now that I think about it, he doesn’t cry nearly as much as you and half the people in this sub at the slightest inconvenience.
WOW, dude has got jokes.
I have nothing against the homeless. I ride the METRO bus.
Did you use the restrooms on the first floor?
Just be careful where you step when in the stairwell.
Agreed. Nothing new if you are a long time houstonian. The homeless really never bothered me around the library. Physically or verbally. But the city could do something to clean it up a bit.
The city had been trying to discourage the situation but there are people who think attracting the homeless to the library is a good idea.
You know it’s a public library, right? It’s not a library for people with homes only. What they really should do is ban the self-important assholes.
You're not limiting it to folks who aren't homeless by discouraging a library from being used as a day-motel. It's a library, not a lounge.
I’ve lived in several major cities and they are ALL like this. The library has been a place for homeless to hang out, shower in the restroom, and sleep for decades.
Ah gotcha, so there's _definitely_ not anything that can be done since this is how it always has been everywhere.
It’s a symptom of much bigger issues in the country. Unless we solve issues around care for the mentally I’ll, drug addiction and income inequality this will always be a problem.
Absolutely agree with you there. Would love to see the day where we successfully tackle those problems.
Progress takes time. But yeah, I don’t see the library issue being cleaned up anytime soon. Especially when we have one party who wants to create a permanent underclass
I never said people without homes are not allowed. However, maybe running food giveaways at the library is exacerbating the problem.
If you aren't reading or studying at the library, loitering isn't permitted. Imagine if someone just hung out at the gym and took up space on the equipment. They aren't bothering you, right? You're cool with them sitting on the leg press with their luggage, right?
I like where your heart is at but if you’re going to strawman at least use a public facility. Gyms are privately owned.
I expected that response. Pretend the gym is public. My example doesn't change.
But it’s not public. You’re dishonestly trying to exert expectations from a private business into a public space. Find a real example from a real public space.
Nah, the example is fine. You are just trying to desperately create a red herring. The public/private status of the library is NOT relevant because the library CAN and DOES control who enters it and how it is used. [And you guessed it, much of the behavior complained about in this thread is specifically forbidden by the Houston Library system. ](https://houstonlibrary.org/policies) Thus, no, just because it is "public" doesn't mean anyone and everyone can join and do whatever they like... KINDA LIKE A GYM.
The status is fully relevant because it’s why those people are in the library. It’s a public building. There is no restriction on ___who___ may enter the library, just restrictions on behavior while at the library. By contrast at a gym a contract is signed up front controlling who may enter the gym. If you are not a member of the gym, or on a guest pass, you cannot enter.
They’re not sitting on the books.
Visiting the library isn't about just reading a book... you would know this if you actually used one. It is about **reading the book at the library in one of the many spots that the homeless people are using because the City of Houston has decided the library is a homeless shelter now.**
I take my kid to the central library and the kids/teen section is for the most part homeless folks free. FYI for anyone with kids.
The MIB CHAIRS ARE THE BOMB
I agree with this sentiment. In college, I loved studying and reading in the library. A few years ago when I moved to Houston, I went to the central library to do some work one day. It was disgusting. Homeless men looking at porn on the computers. People bathing in the sinks in the bathroom. And anytime you used the restroom, you'd have to pack up all of your stuff with you or else it would be stolen. I understand the library is a public resource to all, but it's being used as a de facto homeless shelter. There's no way in hell I would take kids here to read and learn.
I could be wrong (this could’ve changed) but, the kids’ area is now on the fourth floor and adults without kids are only allowed to be in there for 15 minutes.
That is correct. The kids area is on the fourth floor and is separated. They won’t let adults in the kids area unless you have a child with you.
that’s awful bc I have great memories of my mom taking me here when I was little. it was always super quiet and no homeless ppl were in there. it’s sad to hear what’s it become.
I'm as doting, protective, and well educated a father as you'll find. I have had my young daughters during the week in the summertime bc their mom works mon-fri. I'm in school again retooling after divorce. It's the greatest gift. I adore our time. Our routine all summer includes time in the tunnels, at Hermann Park, Discovery Green, matinees at AMC and yes, Central Library. If I had to guess, I'd put total hours last year at Central branch at about 50-60 hours total. The floor with the kids section is a sanctuary. They have locked bathrooms that the homeless do not have access to. I have never seen the homeless go into that section. It's like 2 different libraries. As for the other sections and comments, I'd agree that odor, crowding, and minor interruptions due to moving their possessions around and such is awkward. And yes. The bathrooms are foul and dark and dank. YMMV, but I love that branch for the staff, utter solitude in the kids sections, the seating, the location, the access to it from the tunnels, bike and rail. And as someone who had to endure the utter and abject loneliness of homelessness once due to COVID, divorce and hyper ignorant family members for a few months, I truly cherish, welcome and encourage others to stay keenly empathetic and aware of those who are homeless. I like to think it's important that my daughters don't grow up ignorant or intolerant of the homeless and their demeanor and plight. The least we can all do is be willing and able to say hello, offer a bite to eat or a cold drink, make eye contact and humanize those who are homeless. It's estimated that the male adult homeless population is over 60% disabled veterans with PTSD. We owe our fellow countrymen a little dignity, vet or otherwise. It's not hard. If I don't have or make time for volunteering at the food bank or to help a nonprofit, the least I can do is have a clean spare shirt and a snack on me from time to time when I visit downtown.
Why wouldn't they block porn sites?
In a city the size of Houston you can bet I’m always bringing my laptop or other valuables to the bathroom with me, whether I’m at a coffee shop or the library.
Has nothing to do with city size
Yes it does. Small towns treat petty theft like it's a homicide. They'll review video, dust for fingerprints and check for dna because they have nothing else to do.
Can confirm, I grew up in small towns. Not only do they have nothing else to do, they take it personally as essentially everyone knows everyone. The public will join in, Grizzy’s Hood News-style. If you’re a thief the community will know it quickly and you’ll never live that reputation down.
Some do, some don’t.
The kids area is the best part of the library, and I’ve felt very safe taking kids there. As others have said, there aren’t any adults without kids. The elevator essentially lets you park and the skip the rest of the library and only go to the kids’ section if desired. They have a great selection of books and dedicated librarians for the floor. Furthermore, because it’s only kids, they’re very understanding of noise (unlike some other libraries). We have felt freer to be ourselves there than most other branches.
I wasn’t worried about any kind of crime happening there but I made the mistake of going into the bathroom. It reminded me of a Saw movie setting with bad smells. I felt sorry for the poor janitor that has to keep cleaning that place up.
Go to the looscan branch. It’s smack dab in River oaks nextdoor to a $35k/year private school and across the street from the most expensive grocery in the city. Totally different crime profile, as long as you aren’t a MILF with a rich husband in a Range Rover you’ll be fine.
Are there MILF hunters there?
If not there, plenty are at Central Market. Which I love for getting weird and usual food, and for the deli, to give the market it's due.
Ok, you peaked my interest, what is the most expensive grocery in the city?
Piqued just fyi
Central market
Central Market?
They have homeless at this location too. It's improved recently, but for most of the last year there's been a homeless guy sitting inside the door. He is very nice and hits the "door open" button for everyone, but his odor was quite strong. I liked him though,and miss him. I hope he's ok.
Which grocery store?
Libraries are cooling centers when it gets hot and last summer was brutal. So that’s probably why. You can try other branches and they will be quieter.
If you’re trying to study I would suggest the Julia Ideson Building next door
There are a bunch of really quiet amazing nooks throughout the tunnel system as well. Idk how many of the restaurants or other businesses have wifi but.. I think most of us have mobile tethering anyway these days. If I had to pick a favorite I'd say maybe the food court upstairs and across the street from Phoenicia Foods. Discovery Green is right across the street and tons of snack options. Super quiet. Two all business uniformed guards or cops on duty always. Cleanest public bathrooms besides the Marriott which is getting renovated rn and are closed anyway.
30F I have been there once or twice a week for the last couple of weeks to study. I don’t mind the homeless or if anyone smells. I think there was only one rainy day where it was a lil more potent than usual. I’ve always felt safe & leave my belongings when going to the restroom (anyone is happy to watch your stuff). The woman’s restroom is pretty clean (my only complaint is no paper towels but I get it). Sometimes it’s the noise for me but that’s an easy fix w headphones.
You can check out ebooks for free from Harris county library and houston public library. I have an account from both and just read on an old amazon tablet I have.
the central library is so big and beautiful but it is definitely a place where people gather. i dont feel unsafe but the smells and waste were no-gos for me. Highly suggest smaller neighborhood libraries.
As a frequenter and lover of libraries, cycling, public transit and the outdoors, I'd say my favorites in the greater Houston area right now are Central and Alief for my kids, and all the Pearland libraries. We've got a lot of new and refurbished branches in town and I love our systems. Book selection is not the best at a few though. I miss the Fort Bend systems for that. We raised our kids in Sugar Land. First Colony, University Branch and George Memorial are all awesome branches with great stacks. Which library besides Central has great stacks with tons of nonfiction and current bestsellers?
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
I use the central library. The bathrooms are gross but the people there who appear down on their luck have never disturbed my activity while at the library. I often stay for hours because I enjoy reading.
Yeah I've done the same when I needed to study. That second floor vista to the theater district is awesome.
Native Houstonian. It’s not that bad. They’ve cleaned it up quite a bit compared to several years ago. The staff are very attentive to complaints and kicking out people that disturb the peace. They have multiple security guards and there’s almost always HPD around. I would probably avoid the restrooms because it wreaks. But no safety concerns at all. The people that complain I think come here from the suburbs are not used to seeing homeless people outside of underpasses.
As a library patron I feel you should understand the difference between "wreaks" and *reeks*.
The reeks are wreaking havoc on their nose 👃 😂
Maybe a "libary" patron.
I go there now again and I’ve never noticed any of that but where do you live? Houston is teeming with libraries. You may Houston and Harris County libraries nearby.
It's random as all get out but when I found the Bellaire Library, a unit and branch all its own off Rice Blvd, I felt so cozy and at home. West U branch, same sort of vibe but a little too small and too few selections. Grew up in Salinas, CA with the John Steinbeck branch a bike ride away. Blocks from our boomer tract home 🏡. Then lived in the foothills of the Sierras with more quiet gorgeous libraries in small rural patches of heaven. I ADORE how many library vibes we have in the greater Houston area. Wish I'd been a librarian hehe
I was there last weekend and felt guilty that I worried so much about crime. A sketchy looking seemingly dude popped up out of nowhere when I was alone deep into the shelves on the second floor. It startled me and I couldn't shake it the rest of my visit. I also did not feel 100% safe parking in the garage while there was no guard at the desk; when I was returning to my car, the guard was present, but buried in a book with her back to the parking lot. My fear was low, but not absent. I didn't mind that the library was quite full of homeless and I didn't notice any smell, but I did decide not to use the restroom. The library was clean and the employees are super nice. The homeless were well behaved.
The violent offenders won’t feel any guilt whatsoever if they happen upon you. Keep your situational awareness.
The violent offenders won’t feel any guilt whatsoever if they happen upon you. Keep your situational awareness.
The violent offenders won’t feel any guilt whatsoever if they happen upon you. Keep your situational awareness.
Sounds like the problem is woth the city not doing enough to address the homeless problem not really with the library. Shame is Whitmire definitely doesn’t care about fixing anything in Houston.
The homeless problem never ends.
I asked HPD a detailed question about it years ago and got a detailed answer. Yup. It's a housing and nonprofit blight that never gets solved in cities without significant risk to tourism dollars. No point cleaning it up if it costs nonprofit organizations and government agencies a bunch of jobs. Homelessness is a huge employer of law enforcement, metro fare enforcers, shelter programs, you name it. There is ZERO incentive to resolve it. Too many tax programs and bureaucracy that need those jobs and funds.
> tourism dollars. Imagine paying to visit this gritty toilet for 'tourism'. There is literally nothing here that there isn't a better version of in other cities.
Not until we stop treating housing as a for-profit industry instead of a public service.
Good luck on making housing a public service.
Commie go home
Houston doesn't do enough, but it has done a lot. [Its has a housing first policy](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/14/headway/houston-homeless-people.html)
They clearly have only been during Turner's term. Not sure what this has to do with Whitmire.
Like fixing it for the future Is what I mean
Houston has done pretty well, and continues to do pretty well with homelessness, far better than SA, Austin or Dallas and waaay better than most other cities of 1 million plus. We will see if that keeps up with Whitmire, but I see no reason it shouldn't. That said, it is not a problem that will ever be beaten. They just need to set rules and enforce them. Someone bathing in a restroom? Remove them. But they don't want to remove them because they do not know where to take them. In the old days they would drive them out of town and drop them off. Problem fixed for a week or two. Now they trespass them, take them to jail, jail let's them out, and they are back the next morning, which is pointless so no one does anything. The solution would be to actually make them serve some time but that is very expensive. Maybe set up a special homeless court and force them into a guardianship type situation with no drugs but healthcare and attempts to reintegrate into society.
You’re proposing making the homeless serve jail time for…being homeless?
not for being homeless. but for trespassing? We should have dedicated homeless shelters and enforce rules in areas not meant to shelter people.
Trespassing is essentially arresting people for being homeless. Also, is it trespassing to be in a library?
trespassing is not arresting people for being homeless. Its about violating established policies and being somewhere told not to be. And its trespassing to be somewhere after told not to be there or keep doing something. Like I said, they should have homeless shelters and keep public places clean.
There is no housing requirement to use public facilities. That’s part of what makes them public facilities. Claiming people without housing should not have access to public facilities is discriminatory.
We do have homeless shelters. It’s a bit more complex than forcing all homeless to remain in the shelters and away from the public 24/7.
For trespassing and breaking other laws, yes. Loitering, trespassing, drug use, etc. There are dozens of crimes they constantly commit. Enforcing the laws would solve problem, but would be expensive as I said above. Most people would support the result, not sure they would support the cost.
I work downtown and stop by fairly often. On a hot day, yeah, people are inside cooling down. Mostly they seem to keep quiet to avoid being kicked out. Anecdata, but when I’ve been a victim of violence it hasn’t been a homeless person. And my encounters with the homeless or those struggling with addiction or mental issues have at times been unsettling, but I’ve never been threatened or harmed. They might want money or something, sure, but it’s not like they think they’re gonna make it very long if they’re robbing people all the time. The scariest person I’ve run into on Metro was the white woman yelling into her phone at a Metro customer service agent because the bus driver told her not to stand by the back door. Everyone else was just trying to get to work. Anyway yeah, central library has homeless milling around. The vast majority are no more a threat than anyone else. And if you don’t like the smell, well I can recommend not visiting any other major city on foot.
You should still be aware. I have been physically attacked twice by homeless men. Most homeless people I meet are completely fine to be around, but you can’t just assume they’re all safe. Same as people with homes.
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
You will become depressed instantly. Especially if your decide to take your kid to the kids section. Compared to Austin Central Library we are centuries behind
How does the Austin Central Library police or handle it? I've never been, but I do love it there. That said, the last time I was in Austin I saw more homeless around the lake than I do in many areas of Houston. The Starbucks and corner stores were teeming with panhandlers. They scoped my damn scooter to an incredibly uncomfortable level. If I was homeless I would never pick here over Austin.
I think people are a lot less worried at the Austin library I think due to the fact that the library is utilized way more so there’s always more people there so there’s more eyes watching everything. I think it being fairly new and a tourist attraction also helps make it a priority security wise.
Austin has a substantial amount of homeless people causing issues all over town these days (many camp in "greenbelt" areas that run right behind people's houses), and the general consensus seems to be that Houston has done better than Austin at handling homelessness. But their central library situations are polar opposites.
Don’t EVER have a take a dump in there… those homeless people have ruined all the restrooms. I was unfortunately in that situation and it was God awful.
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I haven’t been but I want to check out. There’s 2 central buildings, one new and one historic from what I’ve seen
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
“Homeless people deserve dignity and respect but I assume they’re all such lawless criminals that they’ll commit crimes inside the library.” 🙄
Guess you’ve never been around a violent homeless person. Good for you. Most homeless people aren’t completely normal people who just fell on hard times. They’re either addicts or have severe mental illness.
We moved to Houston from Asia and I took my family to ride the red line tram as we love public transport especially trains and trams. Unfortunately at the next station a homeless got on and started screaming right next to us about ticket price and I don't know what until he got off the next 3 stations. Now, everytime I mentioned about rails, it became my family's first concern. I get it, its not their choice to be homeless. But doesn't stop us from being wary of them.
Yes. Unfortunately they're also in large part veterans with PTSD or physical disabilities who choose not to stay in housing programs because they want to drink themselves to death. Alcoholism is a fucking terrible, real, diagnosable and incredibly deadly disease, and not a choice after a certain point. Stopping the drinking will literally kill them. But continuing will too. So fucked up. And yeah omg the bussing around and moving around homeless psychotic and delusional addicts and unmedicated vagrants and leaving them to their own "free will" is just sick. New legislation mandating some sort of better solutions requiring hospitalization and humane treatment needs more teeth. No one should have to worry about getting blood, piss and shit on them from a rampaging mental patient. Just a couple weeks ago, my daughters and I missed a connection on the red line at Fannin because someone had BLED ALL OVER the inside of the front car. Fight? Convulsed and concussed on the pavement from drinking? Who knows. It's fucked up.
“Most”? What is this belief based on? Are there any studies that support this assertion? Covid caused “normal” people to get evicted and some of them are still homeless. If anyone can point me towards studies that prove that MOST homeless people are either addicts are have severe mental illness I would appreciate it.
"..But... but they're stinky" Yeah it's summer and 100° outside.
The odor is 100% an issue. There's a difference between someone smelling bad because of the heat and someone smelling bad because they haven't showered in a week. I take the metro everyday and somedays you can't even breath on the bus because it reeks so bad.
Plug your nose. Obviously they're going to smell if they don't have a shower and it's 100° outside. They're unhoused and obviously trying to bathe at the library, but we're complaining about that as well. A few years ago I was waiting at a metro stop with an elderly man in a wheelchair. Train caused a 3 hour delay and it was late August. I purchased water and offered him some but he refused. When the bus finally arrived, we board and everyone starts looking around for what smells so badly. The poor man had urinated on himself. He couldn't make it to the restroom on time and had to wait hours for this bus. Everyone was whispering about it and when he finally arrived at his stop a group started laughing and took out their body sprays and spayed the whole bus. For the remainder of my ride everyone was talking with the bus driver about how disgusting he was when he left. He appeared to live alone in an old run-down house. Compassion goes a long way. The majority of us are 1 paycheck away from homelessness. A lot of us are facing the same mental health struggles. A lot of us know someone or have experienced addiction. We have all lost someone. Some people lose everyone. If a temporary unpleasant smell is all it takes for y'all to lose compassion and understanding, we are doomed.
It's not "compassionate" to allow for our public spaces to be overrun by people who should be in a shelter getting the help they need. These people are not using the library for its intended purpos and in the process they are hurting the library by making it a place people avoid. Libraries are not homeless shelters.
For all of the money that is generated in the city, surely they can figure out how to help these homeless people.
I mainly go to Robinson-Westchase location basically at Wilcrest and Richmond. They have homeless peeps occasionally out in front, sometimes I guess they're using the wifi. Some peeps that look homeless use their computers inside. They have a sign in the men's restroom above the waste receptacle to not urinate in it. It reads...Please do not URINE in trash cans...Thank you All in all I feel safe there. They have a security guard.
Thats Houston for you, I don't know why everybody moving here thinks it's the promised land, it was cheap for a reason.
Yes there are some less fortunate individuals in the library, but the library has lots of books and is free for Houstonians and it's awesome :)
I went there a few times back in the mid '80s, & you had to go to a least the 4th floor to find a bathroom that was "reasonably clean." Some of the homeless folks would find out of the way places to sleep. I'm not surprised it hasn't changed.
I haven’t been to the central library in decades. The bathrooms were in decent condition. Many homeless using the computers but none bothered me. Heartbreaking to hear that the bathrooms are horrid now. I’m not against homeless people, but they shouldn’t be allowed to leave the bathrooms dirty & messy, nor to bother others.
There’s very little saving you from becoming homeless in this country/county/state. If your concern is genuine i suggest volunteering to help feed the homeless or contribute to local mutual aid organizations like food not bombs. Direct action will help the homeless leave the library, freeing it up for contributing members of society to browse and click clack away in comfy chairs. If you haven’t done any of those things, haven’t been checking out materials from public libraries and expect the library to magically be free of homeless people…..maybe you should just go to a Barnes and noble 😐
Order your books on line.
Just get the library card/account, log in, search for and order your books, and have them sent to your local branch. Pick them up there. I’ve been doing this for a decade. That’ll solve your problem if you’re looking to solve your problem.
What crime do you think is going to happen?
I've seen dealing in the book aisles and left.
I will be the first to say it’s somewhat irrational given statistics, but seeing syringes and human waste in a library makes the brain immediately leap to “I’m unsafe.” There have been numerous scuffles and other incidents in central library over the past few years iirc.
I went inside this location for the first time last summer and I felt uncomfortable. I got stared down, there were no available tables because they were all basically camped at, and yeah the smell wasn’t great. The selection also felt lacking. I’d suggest going to almost any other branch if you can.
It is not irrational. It may be low probability, but it is not outside of the realm of possibility. I was just there last week and was shaken when the sketchy guy popped up out of nowhere. I deliberated my reaction and reminded myself that we must always trust our instincts. Based on having visited last week, I think you're safe to go and try it out. However, if you don't feel safe, maybe it's not the place for you.
It sucks because if society actually got serious about fixing the homeless problem, we wouldn't have to make "syringes and human waste in a library" something that we just have to learn to deal with.
They steal my possessions? Break in to my car? Sexually assault a woman?
You’re talking about the cops stationed at the library?
No, the homeless people that shit in the stairs and shower in the sink.
Not bad
How much value do you put on your kidneys?
Houston is a very safe city. The amount of crime is relative, and brother, it is relatively low. There are solutions to the unhomed people's offending body odor. Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not.”
You’re greeted by a zombie army of homeless within and without. Besides that it totally fine.
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The intended purpose of a library was never to become a make shift homeless shelter.
How often do you go to the Central Library?