The Invisible Problem Of Suburban Homelessness

"Recent studies detail a burgeoning homeless population in suburban Fort Bend County, where there are no emergency shelters, no soup kitchens and no specialized housing for homeless youths or the mentally ill. There is also no bus system to move people around."

"But several elected officials insist there is no homeless problem, instead touting the county's national reputation as among the fastest growing and most livable."

"Three-term Katy mayor Doyle Callender compares his city to the sleepy TV town of Mayberry, a place where residents know their neighbors and look out for them. 'We take care of our own,' Callender says. 'There is no homelessness in Katy -- none whatsoever.'"

"Two-term Sugar Land mayor David Wallace says his city, the county's largest, does not need a homeless shelter. The same goes for public transit, he says. 'Why create something that nobody would use?' he asks."