KILLEEN, Texas — Homelessness continues to be an issue in Central Texas and the Killeen Homeless Outreach Team is constantly looking for ways to combat the issue.
Next week they will be bringing back the annual informational block party for the first time since COVID. It's one of the biggest events of the year where the team can provide resources for the homeless and also enjoy a good time.
"We used to do it a lot prior to COVID," Officer Kyle Moore, the head of the H.O.T. told me. "This, I think this is gonna be like the first one we've had post COVID."
Moore and his team have been working since 2018 to find answers to homelessness. It's his goal to change how people look at others' situations because most people fail to realize just how quickly their situations can change.
"I've met a lot of great people who have just fallen on hard times," Moore told me. "I've said this before, anybody can be homeless. Sometimes people are a paycheck away, a death in the family away. It's just an opportunity just to meet people and help."
The city is making a concerted effort as well. City of Killeen Special Projects Coordinator Rashawn Smith says they'll be teaming up with other cities in the county to do whatever it takes to end homelessness.
"We're partnering with the cities of Killeen and Temple, all of the cities within Bell county," Smith said. "We are gonna be working together towards a homeless and mental health strategic plan."
While there is no clear and obvious answer to homelessness, Officer Moore says the only thing you can do is keep trying.