misunderestimation

A study conducted by the Appleseed Foundation is showing that the cost of being the most neighborly city in the world is starting to mount.

Houston took in 150,000 evacuees — the most of any U.S. city — after Katrina struck on Aug. 29. Houston police believe the evacuees are partly responsible for a nearly 17.5 percent increase in homicides so far this year over the same period in 2005.

About 21 percent of Houston’s 232 homicides through July 25 involved an evacuee as either a suspect or a victim, according to police, who attribute much of the bloodshed to fighting among rival New Orleans gang members.

Why is this such a problem for Houston? The Houston Chronicle explains:

Houston had more evacuees, most of them people who couldn’t get out of New Orleans and had to be rescued after the storm hit. The city received a lot of New Orleans’ poor who did not have the resources to evacuate on their own, and many arrived with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Many were also physically or mentally ill.

I remember driving down to the Astrodome the morning after all the victims came to Houston. I, like many of my fellow Houstonians, loaded the car with supplies, waited in line for the throngs of donors, deposited my goods in the astonishing assortment of materials, and spent a few minutes talking with the victims before driving home. Seeing those faces; the shattered looks and hopelessness will stay with me forever and made me incredibly proud of my city. Houston was extending a hand to our neighbors in need and literally giving the shirt off our backs to help out.

At the time, people outside of Houston asked me why we did it. Why did we open our hearts and even homes to complete strangers? Frankly, I couldn’t imagine any other way.

Now, Houston is paying the price and some tough choices are facing our city. What do we do with the growing crime rate? What do we do if we are presented with this choice again? What is the true cost of being neighborly in today’s world? We’ve been removed from consideration (again) for the Olympics in 2016, we continue to be the butt of jokes:

You Know You’re From Houston When…The name “Bud Adams” makes people snarl, and “Bum Phillips” doesn’t mean a bad screwdriver.

and we will never live down, “Houston, we have a problem.”

What do we do as a community? How can the best of intentions turn out this badly? I guess it is actually true, we do have a problem.

Others blogging:

• The Cost of Katrina Crime
• Hurricane Katrina victims are being blamed for the increase in Houston’s crime rate
• houston crime rate up after welcoming 150,000 new orleans evacuees
• Giving
• Katrina victims blamed for Houston crime (AP)
• Katrina victims blamed for Houston crime…again

More misunderestimation