Dominic Anthony Walsh/Houston Public Media

In a critical step toward Mayor John Whitmire's effort to functionally eliminate street homelessness, the Houston City Council approved the $16 million purchase of a facility in East Downtown that could temporarily shelter hundreds of homeless people at a time.

Whitmire described the move as "just the first step," with plans for additional service facilities across the city.

"We’re looking at other locations — superb opportunities — to really remove the homeless from the streets of Houston," Whitmire said. "It’s a complex issue. ... We don’t remove someone if we don’t know where we’re going to place them."

The 14-1 vote came after two weeks of delays and intense backlash from some community members in the area.

Whitmire's administration unve

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