A woman sleeps on a Houston homeowner's walkway in August. Since Mayor Whitmire enacted a 24-hour civility ordinance for downtown, Riverside Terrace and other nearby communities are seeing more homeless people sleeping on sidewalks and porches.

It's hard to know if the woman found sleeping on my neighbor's front walkway was homeless, or if she dozed off on her way somewhere.

Her sneakers were worn; her clothes slightly dirty.

She was one of several people in less than a week who was spotted crashed out on a residential street in the Riverside Terrace neighborhood.

Advertisement

Article continues below this ad

While it's common to see people stake out major Houston intersections asking for money or food, we're seeing more people curled up on our sidewalks, porches and even front yards. If they have belongings, they might be stuffed into a grocery cart, but most often, they are likely wearing the only clothes they own.

Since the City of Houston enacted a 24-hour civility ordinance for downtown that bans sleeping on sidewalks, nearby neighborhoods like ours are bracing for an increase in homelessness on residential streets. The city's downtown 24/7 ban extends into the East End and prohibits people from sitting or........

© Houston Chronicle