In September 2025, a set of installations and murals opened in Houston as part of HueMan:Shelter.
The art is meant to “change perceptions of homelessness,” according to the project’s official website. One example is “Window to Home” by Melissa Aytenfisu. The artist worked with five people whom Career and Recovery Resources connected her with and incorporated their personal experiences into the resulting artwork: a bus shelter installation featuring printed images created from found objects she and her collaborators collected in Midtown and in her neighborhood.
Many people have some kind of creative background from childhood, whether it is music, drawing, sewing, or singing. It was joyful to see participants light up and remember, ‘I used to do this when I was a kid.’
Cynthia Alvarado, founding director of the Midtown Cultural Arts and Entertainment District
The project brings together 12 artists, the city of Houston, the Midtown Cultural Arts and Entertainment District, and over 40 unhoused collaborators. These participants were connected to artists through a nonprofit called Career and Recovery Resources (CRR), which provides employment support, substance recovery services, and services for people experiencing homelessness.
“Unhoused individuals were paid to work on the project and were given the opportunity to build job skills, social skills, confidence, and hope through art. Several participants were also able to secure employment following the project,” writes Cynthia Alvarado, founding director of the Midtown Cultural Arts and Entertainment District and director of HueMan:Shelter, in an email to Shelterforce.
Nkechi Agwuenu, CRR’s chief executive officer, writes in an email to Shelterforce that the exhibition was meant to “shift how people see and understand homelessness, moving away from stereotypes and toward a more human, nuanced perspective.”
[Related Article: “I Hate How Quick People Are to Judge”: Art Spotlights Voices From Homeless Shelters]
The Houston project is part of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge. Since 2014, the organization has funded cities across the country to create public art that responds to local problems and engages local community members. In 2023, the most recent of three rounds of the challenge, eight winners were selected: Atlanta; Baltimore; Honolulu; Houston; Orlando, Florida; Philadelphia; Phoenix; and Salt Lake City. The projects selected address issues ranging from food justice to drought and extreme heat.
Houston received a $1 million grant to create HueMan:Shelter. Now, visitors can use a map to explore the artworks on display: some of them are located on bus shelters and underpasses, and one, “HueMan UpRise,” is a large-scale mural.
“Many people have some kind of creative background from childhood, whether it is music, drawing, sewing, or singing. It was joyful to see participants light up and remember, ‘I used to do this when I was a kid,’” writes Alvarado.
Homelessness in Houston increased slightly last year, according to the latest Point-in-Time Count, but it’s dropped by over 60 percent since 2011, making the city a frequently cited example of a successful Housing First strategy. HueMan:Shelter’s website includes a directory of health support, shelter, and other services in the city.
According to a Midtown Houston representative, the HueMan:Shelter mural is permanent, while the bus shelters are on view until December 2026. The art in the underpasses will be removed when required by the Texas Department of Transportation for construction.
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