Herbert Sims: From Gang Intervention Specialist to Director of the Dept. of Neighborhoods

So let's talk about the department itself, then, because there are a lot of components.

As someone that doesn't know, what's kind of the high-level definition or whatever of...

the Department of Neighborhoods.

What does it do?

So our goal is to make government accessible to the residents.

We want to break any barriers that our residents have to local government.

Local government is the first level of government.

It's the most influential in your life.

You know, we know hordes of people show up for federal elections, but municipal elections and municipal government is the thing that affects everyday society.

Right.

Whether it be trash pickup, water quality, whether it be blight, public safety like we just talked about.

So that's what we're trying to do.

And so in many of the programs we have, we're trying to bring those services to the citizen and break down.

those barriers.

The

mayor talks a lot about getting government back to basics.

What does that look like in the Department of Neighborhoods, taking care of folks on that kind of basic level?

So, I mean, we are at the basic level.

You know, we are there where there's super neighborhoods and going to super neighborhoods meetings, mayor's assistance office.

They attend the civic club meetings and the super neighborhood meetings.

They deal with the neighborhood leaders on what their goals and objectives are for their communities or objections, I should say sometimes.

But you're dealing with veterans and military affairs who who's dealing with many veteran issues and working with, Many of the veteran NGOs, as well as Harris County, to solve veterans issues in the city of Houston.

You have human trafficking working, trying to get housing and beds for them.

It may be temporary, but that's, you know, Tanisha Mosley always says that's one of the biggest barriers to recovery and human trafficking for them to get off the street is a roof over their head.

And they'll go back if we can't get them back.

So let's talk about the department itself, then, because there are a lot of components.

As someone that doesn't know, what's kind of the high-level definition or whatever of...

the Department of Neighborhoods.

What does it do?

So our goal is to make government accessible to the residents.

We want to break any barriers that our residents have to local government.

Local government is the first level of government.

It's the most influential in your life.

You know, we know hordes of people show up for federal elections, but municipal elections and municipal government is the thing that affects everyday society.

Right.

Whether it be trash pickup, water quality, whether it be blight, public safety like we just talked about.

So that's what we're trying to do.

And so in many of the programs we have, we're trying to bring those services to the citizen and break down.

those barriers.

The

mayor talks a lot about getting government back to basics.

What does that look like in the Department of Neighborhoods, taking care of folks on that kind of basic level?

So, I mean, we are at the basic level.

You know, we are there where there's super neighborhoods and going to super neighborhoods meetings, mayor's assistance office.

They attend the civic club meetings and the super neighborhood meetings.

They deal with the neighborhood leaders on what their goals and objectives are for their communities or objections, I should say sometimes.

But you're dealing with veterans and military affairs who who's dealing with many veteran issues and working with, Many of the veteran NGOs, as well as Harris County, to solve veterans issues in the city of Houston.

You have human trafficking working, trying to get housing and beds for them.

It may be temporary, but that's, you know, Tanisha Mosley always says that's one of the biggest barriers to recovery and human trafficking for them to get off the street is a roof over their head.

And they'll go back if we can't get them back.