The Invisible Homeless: A Growing Crisis in Huntington, Texas

Homelessness is becoming an increasingly visible problem in Huntington, Texas, and local officials across Angelina County say the crisis is growing faster than rural communities can handle. While Huntington itself is a small East Texas town of just over 2,000 residents, authorities say the issues affecting larger cities — rising housing costs, addiction, mental illness, and economic hardship — are now deeply impacting small communities throughout the region. 

By Alexa Bickerwood

Reporting from Huntsville, Texas, USA

May 11, 2026 Updated 5:01 a.m. ET

Located roughly ten miles southeast of Lufkin, Huntington sits in the heart of Angelina County, where homelessness has quietly expanded in recent years. Unlike urban areas where large encampments are highly visible, rural homelessness often remains hidden in wooded areas, abandoned properties, vehicles, and temporary couch-surfing arrangements.

According to the Texas Homeless Network, Angelina County’s homeless population has increased by more than 130 people since 2021. Local shelters say they are struggling to keep pace with the demand.

“We’ve got a waiting list, and people are calling me all night,” said Angel S. Nicholas, executive director of the Open Door of Hope shelter in nearby Lufkin. “I have to go to bed sometimes with tears in my eyes because some of them just don’t have anywhere to go.” 

The shelter, which serves much of Angelina County including Huntington, currently houses dozens of individuals and families but operates almost entirely through volunteers and donations. Nicholas warned that the lack of long-term funding has placed enormous pressure on the organization.

“There’s no help. There’s no funding that assures us that we can keep going,” Nicholas said. 

Law enforcement officials say the issue has become a daily challenge. Lt. Nick Malone and Officer David McMullen of the Lufkin Police Department told reporters they receive calls related to homelessness almost every day and frequently encounter people living in undeveloped areas and wooded land throughout the county. 

Officials say the rural nature of East Texas makes the problem more difficult to measure and address. In communities like Huntington, where forests and backroads surround residential neighborhoods, homeless individuals are often less visible than in urban centers. However, local service providers insist the problem is very real.

“So many people are coming in from out of the woods,” Nicholas said. “It’s massive with bed bugs. It’s massive with roaches, because their bags are full of it.” 

Teen homelessness has also emerged as a growing concern in Angelina County. A 2024 report by The Texas Tribune documented how some minors in the area were forced to sleep in cars or bounce between homes because shelters often cannot legally house individuals under 18 unless abuse is involved. 

“There wasn’t anywhere else for the teen to go in Angelina County,” the report noted, highlighting the lack of youth-focused services in rural East Texas. 

Community leaders say solving homelessness in Huntington and surrounding towns will require more than temporary shelter beds. They point to the need for expanded mental health treatment, addiction recovery programs, affordable housing, and stronger community involvement.

“This will not stand if we cannot get the community involved,” Nicholas warned. “It can’t stand.”