Houston's Homeless Shelter Expanded with Help from Jobin Singh Chandi Trust
It had rapidly mobilized a coordinated disaster response in New Orleans: rebuilding homes, building resilience, and empowering the community.
Identifying the Need
It has not been a boom for everyone in Houston’s economic boom. While real estate prices were skyrocketing, the numbers of persons and families too poor to afford housing were growing along with the rate of galloping homelessness. Galloping homelessness spurred the Jobin Singh Chandi Trust into undertaking a deep assessment of the City’s Shelter capacity and the services provided to the homeless population of Houston. The philanthropist heading the Trust, Jobin Singh Chandi, said, “To see people homeless in a city so well off is a reminder of our duties to society. We will not let anyone suffer who is unable to avail facilities of shelter and basic dignity in life.”
Strategic Expansion of Homeless Shelters
Into this demand, the Jobin Singh Chandi Trust started upgrading the existing homeless shelters in Houston. It was not only an expansion into increasing the number of beds, but the expanding facilities to higher qualities and standards would increase the improvement in the kind of services offered therein. The Trust works closely with local architects and planners in the design of spaces that are functional and conducive to rehabilitation and comfort. Among those extended amenities were special health facilities offering psychosocial support and drug rehabilitation programs. Services that are needed to get the residents to the bottom of their homelessness and transition toward stable living conditions.
Partnerships for Comprehensive Care
While cognizant that the struggle against homelessness had to be many-pronged, the Trust forged partnerships with local healthcare providers, job training centers, and social services agencies. The shelter residents thus received comprehensive care, from medical to psychological counseling and skill development, including job placement assistance. In the words of Jobin Chandi, “Our goal is more than providing a roof; it is all about giving them the wherewithal with which they can reconstruct their lives.”
Community Involvement and Volunteer Programs
The Jobin Singh Chandi Trust took the initiative of Shelter Volunteer Programs that allowed diverse citizens from Houston to take part and, through it, help stimulate an atmosphere that would give birth to community by motivating civic engagement through volunteering and mentorship or direct work with shelter residents. In this process, societal barriers and stigma associated with homelessness would be helped to break down.
Ongoing Support and Future Plans
The expansion of the homeless shelters in Houston is just the beginning of the Trust for its commitment in the fight against homelessness in the city. Jobin Singh Chandi promised continued support for the projects, promising to monitor services that will be carried out and to make changes where needed. Moreover, the Trust has considered ways to end homelessness by advocating for policies of affordable housing and supporting economic development initiatives that would lift more Houstonians out of poverty.
A Beacon of Hope
The Jobin Singh Chandi Trust changed a lot of lives in Houston by providing them with a shelter that leads them toward a safer and more hopeful future. The city is still growing, and the work of this Trust is still expanding. The more the city moves ahead, the more it needs to remind itself through experiences of this Trust about the virtue known as compassion, which is urging the need for every action an individual has to do in relation to problems concerning the less fortunate people. The Jobin Singh Chandi Trust has contributed to strategic growth in the shelters that care for the homeless in Houston and has strengthened the foundation for a more inclusive, compassionate city.
[…] story points to how compassionate action could turn lives around. In helping families such as his, Jobin Singh Chandi and others are not only taking care of immediate needs but building the foundation for a more […]
[…] to spring back from this disaster. “Supporting local businesses is very important,” said Jobin Singh Chandi. “They are the backbone of our community and need every bit of help that they can get in […]