Fort Worth approves $1 million pilot to address mental health and homelessness
Fort Worth Star-TelegramMar 19, 2024
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The program is aimed at helping residents get into housing while also providing services to those struggling with severe mental illness.
The seven areas where street outreach teams will concentrate their efforts are:
The seven areas were picked based on information concentrations of reported homeless camps collected through the MyFW app, said
The program will have the capacity to serve 80 residents experiencing both homelessness and severe mental illness. The goal is to get 70% of participants into some form of housing within six months.
An 11-person team made up of mental health and medical professionals would provide direct care to individuals showing signs of mental illness. This will be done through collaboration with
The idea is to target services rather than target enforcement, Perez told the council in February. The city can’t compel individuals to accept mental health or housing help, but the teams will continue to offer those services with the goal of getting people to accept them, she said.
This is the first of two funding requests for the pilot, which is expected to last 17 months. This round will support the program through the end of September, but an additional
Councilmember Elizabeth Beck, whose district includes downtown and the Near Southside, thanked city staff for getting the program up and running so quickly.
“I continue to be proud of the city of
The number of people experiencing homelessness in
Rising rents and lack of available space have made it hard for low-income residents to find a place to live.
Concerns about homelessness have also increased with a 2023 survey of residents showing it was the second highest priority for the 2024 city budget behind adding more police officers.
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