Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs - Building Homes and Strengthening Communities

TICH logo - type treatment including part of a houseTexas Interagency Council for the Homeless

The Council at a Glance

In 1989, Texas’s 71st legislature established the Texas Interagency Council for the Homeless (TICH). Legislation requires TICH to coordinate the state's resources and services to address homelessness. TICH serves as an advisory committee to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). Representatives from eleven state agencies sit on the council along with members appointed by the governor, lieutenant governor, and speaker of the house of representatives. Visit the Council Agencies page for the TICH roster.

Council Activity

The Council’s duties are outlined in the Texas Government Code §2306.905:

  • Evaluate and coordinate the delivery of services for persons in homeless situations in Texas;
  • Increase the flow of information among separate providers and appropriate authorities;
  • Provide technical assistance to TDHCA in assessing the need for housing for people with special needs;
  • Develop, in coordination with TDHCA and the Health and Human Services Commission, a strategic plan to address the needs of homeless persons; and
  • Maintain a central resource and information center for homeless services.

Annual Report and Pathways Home

In September 2012, the TICH released its Annual Report covering 2011 and early 2012. The Annual Report describes the Council’s progress on its statutory requirements. As an addendum to the Annual Report, the TICH released Pathways Home: A Framework for Coordinating State Administered Programs with Continuum of Care Planning to Address Homelessness in Texas. The document presents findings from a TICH study of state infrastructure, state data, national research, local efforts, and public input regarding homeless services. In response to the study’s results, Pathways Home proposes a framework to help more of Texas’s most vulnerable residents enter into, and remain in, stable and affordable permanent housing.