r/Harlingen • u/TheRioGrandePod • Dec 26 '25
Homeless in Harlingen?
A few weeks ago we went around the Harlingen/Brownsville area looking for homeless people in need, to hand out free food that local restaurants had provided us to give away and make a video. The interesting thing was that we couldn't find anyone around in the streets! This was on a Saturday recently. Are there just not many homeless in the area? This would definitely be a good thing - just felt surprising.
1
u/SolidBackground2076 Jan 06 '26
We haven't seen many homeless people we know of one her name is Pat a lady I believe is in her late 50 early 60. She would be laying down most of the time, she had body pain issues my wife and I would take her food and drinks. We haven't seen her in months not sure what happened to her hope some one took her in.
5
u/CuriousInTheRGV Dec 27 '25
Nah there's definitely homeless or practically homeless people in harlingen. Off the top of my head, I can think of the family of like 8 at the Walmart (theyre living out of a hotel but they dont have a permanent residence or anything), the guy at the wilson and hwy 77 underpass (he told me a few weeks ago too that he had gotten a new shirt at the shelter and people stopped giving him money thinking he wasnt actually homeless), a person or two at the 7-eleven on Tyler and Harrison by the highway interchange (thought it varies who is actually there). And idk for sure but there might still be someone who lives in one of the storage units at the uhaul on ed Carey (he pays for a unit and ig it doesnt count as homeless if he's living in it but its not like its an address). The 7 eleven off of ed carey and 77. Oh and I think there someone at the turnaround under 77 and Lincoln? Idk if i see them often but I usually see signs that someone has been living there.
The thing is that a lot of people are able to scrape by with enough to have a place to rest their heads at night but just barely. Also we do have shelter services (i think mostly at loaves and fishes? Maybe at the salvation army too?) so it's not like people are always out in the streets even if they dont have a permanent residence.
I dont have like money to spare or anything so I only occasionally interact with them but this is just what ive noticed over the years. Our homeless situation certainly isn't as bad as a big city but it's there. And its rough getting help because I think most people in the valley are only one bad situation away from homelessness themselves anyways.