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and test prep

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homelesshouston.org

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Helpcard (help card) provides resources to aid the homeless and underserved in Houston, TX.

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HPD will offer a replacement document for any lost/stolen ID that is still valid & not expired!

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Pictured above: Senior Police Officer Colin Mansfield of the Homeless Outreach Team and Mr. Matthew Campbell who was homeless and who Officer Mansfield met and helped. History
The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) started as a pilot program in January 2011. It was made a permanent program in the department after a very successful six-month pilot. Sergeant Stephen Wick, the team's current supervisor, and Senior Police Officer Jaime Giraldo (at front in picture above) developed and implemented the program.
Program Description
HOT is comprised of one sergeant, four police officers, and three mental health professional from The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD. The team helps the homeless with the following:

Housing

Social Security cards

Passports

Birth certificates

Shelter referrals

Medical equipment

Employment

Bus fare

Medical care

Mental health treatment

Collaboration
The team works with several organizations. The following are a few:

SEARCH Homeless Services

Lord of the Streets

Bread of Life

Palmer Way Station

Star of Hope

Salvation Army

Healthcare for the Homeless

US Vets

DeGeorge Veterans Housing

Main Street Minitries

Goodwill

Goal
To obtain housing for the chronic homeless.
To Make A Referral To the Homeless Outreach Team:
Make A Referral by clicking the link and then sending us information in regards to the person you would like us to investigate help for. Requests must be in HPD Jurisdiction.
Houston CITYSAVVY
See article and video Truly good guys: HPD unit brings hope to the homeless in CITYSAVVY.

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Houston Police Department, Mental Health Division

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Pictured above: Senior Police Officer Colin Mansfield of the Homeless Outreach Team and Mr. Matthew Campbell who was homeless and who Officer Mansfield met and helped. History The Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) started as a pilot program in January 2011. It was made a permanent program in the department after a very successful six-month pilot.

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HHH offers services for people who are literally living on the streets, in shelters, in transitional or permanent supportive housing, and for those who are at risk of homelessness.

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Healthy Relationship Helpline

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Healthy relationships for young adults can be confusing. Love is more than just the way you feel, and we're here to help.

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What You'll Need to Get ID

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TxDPS - How to apply for a Texas Identification Card

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Texas Driver License - Apply for an Identification (ID) Card

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Contact Us

Adopted Youth

Foster Youth and Others

Transitional Living Services staff at 512-438-2350 or 512-438-5442 if you:

Are currently or were previously in foster care (as explained in the Do I Qualify section below.)

Returned to the legal responsibility of your parent on or after June 1, 2016 at either age 14 or 16, (as explained in the Do I Qualify section below.)

Had permanent managing conservatorship granted to a non-parent on or after September 1, 2009.

Regional PAL Statewide staff can also assist you.

What is the College Tuition and Fee Waiver?

This is a state law that exempts or waives payment of tuition and fees at state supported colleges or universities for foster youth currently or formerly in the conservatorship of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) and for those adopted from DFPS.

Do I Qualify?

You qualify for the tuition and fee waiver, if you were in DFPS conservatorship:

The day before your 18th birthday.

The day of your 14th birthday, if you are also eligible for adoption on or after that day.

The day you graduated from high school or received the equivalent of a high school diploma.

The day you were adopted, if that date was on or after September 1, 2009.

The day Permanent Managing Conservatorship was granted to a non-parent, if that date was on or after September 1, 2009.

You were 14 years or older on or after June 1, 2016 and left DFPS's Permanent Managing Conservatorship return to the legal responsibility of a parent.

You were 16 years or older on or after June 1, 2016 and left DFPS Temporary Managing Conservatorship to the legal responsibility of a parent.

You enrolled in a dual credit course or other course which a high-school student may earn joint high school and college credit, and were in DFPS conservatorship on the day of enrollment.

Note: You must have enrolled in a state supported college or university as an undergraduate student before your 25th birthday.

State PAL staff or Adoption Eligibility Assistance staff will give you a signed college Tuition Fee Waiver letter to take to the school registrar's office. Participation in PAL services is not required to be eligible for the tuition and fee waiver.

See Texas Education Code section 54.366 and Title 40, Subchapter P, of Chapter 700

Tuition Exemptions for Students Adopted from DFPS care and who have an Adoption Assistance Agreement (Texas Education Code Section 54.367)

You are eligible for the tuition and fee waiver if you were adopted and were the subject of a financial assistance agreement providing monthly payments and Medicaid benefits.

The benefit to qualifying for this waiver is there is no age limit for the student to enroll in a college or university. To verify eligibility, contact your Regional Adoption Staffor call (800) 233-3405.

Important changes have been made to Section 54.367 of the Texas Education Code related to students who receive the Texas tuition and fee waiver solely as a result of entering into an adoption assistance agreement with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) for payments and Medicaid.

Beginning the fall 2014 semester or term, legislation was changed to include requirements that the continued receipt of the tuition and fee waiver was based on a student:

Maintaining a grade point average (GPA) that satisfies the college/university's policy regarding eligibility for financial aid.

Not completing credit hours considered to be excessive under Section 54.014, unless the college/university allows the student to do so on a showing of good cause.

If the student did not maintain the required GPA or completed a semester with excessive hours, the student was no longer eligible to receive the tuition and fee waiver for the next semester or term. The student could only re-qualify for the waiver by completing a semester or term that met the GPA requirement and did not complete excessive hours during that semester or term.

** Effective September 1, 2017, these requirements were rescinded. There is no longer legislative requirements regarding GPA or excessive hours that would prohibit a student from receiving the Texas tuition and fee waiver under Section 54.367 of the Texas Education Code.

For more information, please see the Texas Education Code, Chapter 54, Tuition and Fees.

If you have any questions regarding this legislative change, please contact the registrar's office of the school your child attends. Issues regarding this recent legislation should be reported to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

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Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS)

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Transitional Living Services staff at 512-438-2350 or 512-438-5442 if you: Are currently or were previously in foster care (as explained in the Do I Qualify section below.) Returned to the legal responsibility of your parent on or after June 1, 2016 at either age 14 or 16, (as explained in the Do I Qualify section below.)

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Ages 18-21

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Covenant House Texas can be your LIFELINE....
Serving youth 18 to 24, including pregnant and parenting teens with children.

Located at:
1111 Lovett Blvd.

(near corner of Westheimer & Montrose)

After 3PM call: 713-630-5601

Intake hours: 3:00PM - 10:00PM

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Covenant House Texas can be your LIFELINE.... Serving youth 18 to 24, including pregnant and parenting teens with children. Located at: 1111 Lovett Blvd. Houston, Texas 77006 (near corner of Westheimer & Montrose) 713-523-2231 After 3PM call: 713-630-5601 Intake hours: 3:00PM - 10: ...

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Lord of the Streets Episcopal Church has been dedicated to ministry to Houston's homeless population in downtown and Mid-town Houston.

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Financial Assistance

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Join the MY Link Family

The Houston Public Library Card, MY Link, has many benefits that will link YOU to many Worlds of information and entertainment (our library card used to be called PowerCard). MY Link Library Card opens doors for you - linking YOU to the things you like and the things you love - from streaming music and movies, e-books and audiobooks, to access to more than 130 databases and resources on countless subjects that you can use to build, create or learn anything you want...not to mention access to library collections from across the nation, all free for YOU.

The best benefit to MY Link Library Card is that it connects you to a community of people who can simplify your information needs to get you the answers you want, clearly and easily. HPL staff is available at more than 40 locations throughout Houston as well as online.

So whether you are young, young at heart, a hip-hop head, a rocket scientist, an artist or skater, a cook, singer or student, MY Link fits YOU.
I have MY Link. Do YOU have yours?
Benefits of Library Card

Access to more than six million books, e-books, DVDs, magazines and research materials that make up the HPL collection.

Access to more than 130 electronic resources which include streaming music, videos, images, audiobooks, and countless other subject-based websites and databases.

Access to books and materials at other libraries, nationally and internationally, through our Interlibrary Loan program.

Free Wi-Fi and computer access at all HPL Locations.

Device checkout including mobile hotspots, laptop and tablets. Library card must be at least 30 days old and without any outstanding fines or fees.

Library cards are free to all Texas residents.

Our Partner

Learn more about our MY Link Library Card partner, H-E-B.

How do I get a MY Link Library Card?

Sign up is easy! Register and access our resources, including e-books, music, movies, research databases and place holds on materials. Visit any Houston Public Library to get the physical MY Link card and check out books, DVDs and more. Note: youth under 18 years of age still need to apply in person at an HPL location.

Need to renew your card? Update your email or physical address? Perhaps you've misplaced your library card? No worries. Simply submit this form and our staff will check your record and get back to you.
Computer Use Only Card Registration
For on-site customers only who need to use a public access computer. This card does NOT allow access to e-books and other digital media.

Apply in person at any Houston Public Library Location

You can still get a MY Link card at any of our locations.

Adults

You must provide a valid photo I.D. with your current address. The following types of photo I.D. are acceptable if they are not expired:

government agency issued identification card

passports from any country

any state driver's license

any state or city identification card

METRO identification card

school identification card

If the photo I.D. does not include your address, you will need to provide a separate document that includes that information.

Children under 18

Parents or guardians must sign applications for children under 18; if the child is not present, the parent or guardian must provide one of the following:

a current identification/document in the child's name issued by a government agency, school, or social services provider

OR the child's birth certificate

OR the child's immunization record

For details about acceptable alternative forms of identification, you may call the Circulation Department at (832) 393-2222, M-Th 10-8, Fri-Sat 10-5 or email us at circinfo@hpl.lib.tx.us.

Library cards expire every 3 years and must be renewed in person. Lost cards should be reported as soon as possible, as cardholders will be held responsible for any materials checked out on their card. There is no charge to replace a lost library card.

Update your MY Link Card

Do you need to change your email address, phone number or address? Use this form and we will update your information and get back to you.

Registration by Mail

If you are a Texas resident and unable to physically come to the library to register for a library card, you can register by mail. Please print the Library Card registration form and send it, along with a good quality photocopy of your photo I.D. with your current address, to:

Houston Public Library
System Circulation Department (Library Card)
500 McKinney
Houston, TX 77002

You can also email a scanned copy of the completed application form and photo I.D. to circinfo@hpl.lib.tx.us.
It takes about 24 hours to process applications received by mail or email and prepare the card to be mailed, if all necessary information was included with the application.

Texas residents can also get a library card online.

Computer Use Only Cards

Computer Use Only Cards allow computer access, including Internet access and access to licensed databases. To obtain a Computer Use Only Card, the following is required:

Adults

Name

Photo I.D. that includes birth date

Children under 18

Name

Birth date

Name of school (or an indication that they are homeschooled)

Birth date is required to help prevent duplication of records.

Computer Use Only cards must be renewed every year. There is a $1 replacement fee for lost Computer Use Only cards.

Non-resident Cards

If you live outside of Texas, you can obtain a card by paying a non-resident fee of $20/6 months or $40/year (personal check or money order made out to City of Houston). You can apply in person, by mail (see section above) or online.

What Can I Do with my MY Link Library Card?

Borrow books, DVDs, CDs, e-books, and other materials

Use our research databases

Place holds
Place your holds from home and get email notification for pick-up.There is a maximum of 30 holds per library card at any one time. Ask any HPL staff member if you need help with this service. Pick-up and check-out your items at the library location you choose. Holds will be held for 7 days. Check-out period is 3 weeks.

Place interlibrary loan requests for items Houston Public Library does not own.

Check your account: To renew your own items, view or cancel holds, view your checkout history.

Membership has many privileges. Get your MY Link card today!

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Join the MY Link Family The Houston Public Library Card, MY Link, has many benefits that will link YOU to many Worlds of information and entertainment (our library card used to be called PowerCard).

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Youth Services: consists of in-school and afterschool programs that provide intervention and prevention services designed to eliminate teen pregnancy, substance abuse, and other juvenile delinquent behaviors. Key components of this program include academic and cultural enrichment activities, college readiness and SAT prep classes.

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GED, ESL, and High School Programs

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Houston Emergency Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens - Houston TX Food Bank listings - Houston Texas Food Banks, Pantry

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Houston Food Pantries, Soup Kitchens, and Food Banks. Find emergency food resources in Houston TX.

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Houston Homeless Health Care Clinics - Houston TX Homeless Health Care Clinics - Houston Texas Homeless Health Care Clinics

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Below is the list of Houston Homeless Health Care Clinics.

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Houston Homeless Shelters and Services - Houston TX Homeless Shelters

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Houston, TX Homeless Shelters and homeless services. We provide homeless shelters and resources that help the homeless including clinics, transitional housing

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Houston TX Low Income Housing | Houston Low Income Apartments | Low Income Housing in Houston, TX

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Search below and find all of the Low Income Housing in Houston TX. We have listed out all of the Low Income Housing listings in Houston, TX below

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Houston, TX Rent Assistance Resources. Find help paying your rent. We provide this service for free.

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Free Application for Federal Student Aid

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Free Application for Federal Student Aid