In the face of a troubling rise in homelessness across the nation, The Woodlands Township has rolled up its sleeves, launching a new task force to get a handle on the local situation—a move intended to assess and enhance public safety and community well-being.

During a meeting on Feb. 22, township officials greenlit the charter for a task force that is principally charged with sizing up the local homeless population and improving access to social services though the township itself can't make its own homelessness laws or spend funds without full board approval—board member Cindy Heiser, who initially proposed the task force on Jan. 24, and fellow board member Linda Nelson, are officially on the roster, as reported by the Houston Chronicle.

Montgomery County's comprehensive five-year report, pinpointing more than 3,000 countywide without shelter, set off alarm bells, prompting this concerted effort to tackle homelessness within The Woodlands, where, up until now, no data on homelessness is available for the specific area, according to the Community Impact.

"We think there's starting to be a little bit more of an influx of homelessness," Heiser told the Houston Chronicle, emphasizing the township's proactive stance as it gears up to possibly connect homeless individuals with proper support networks thus aiming to stave off the encampment issues that have plagued other cities; however, some residents are worried the task force might focus more on shooing homeless people away instead of providing support, a viewpoint echoed by Tom Chumbley, a member of The Woodlands Law Enforcement Advisory Council.

A focus on the individual plights and potential contributions of the homeless players into the proactive strategy the task force is seeking to deploy, as mentioned by David Droll, the founder of a local nonprofit focused on homelessness outreach, suggests a more relational approach in dealing with the needy may bear fruit for the betterment of the entire community.