Fort Worth approves $1 million pilot to address mental health and homelessness

The Fort Worth city council unanimously approved spending a little over a $1 million on a pilot program targeting seven areas of the city with high concentrations of residents experiencing homelessness.

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: Camp Bowie West and Las Vegas Trail, Seminary Avenue around Hemphill Street and the La Gran Plaza shopping mall, downtown, Near Southside, Historic Southside, northside and the Stockyards, and Beach Street From East Lancaster Avenue to North Tarrant Parkway, according to city documents.

The seven areas were picked based on information concentrations of reported homeless camps collected through the MyFW app, said Tara Perez, who oversees the city’s efforts to reduce homelessness, speaking at a city council work session in February.

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 My Health My Resources of Tarrant County.

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 $2.4 million will be needed to extend the program another 12 months.

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 Fort Worth and the way we take strides to address those in our city that need that support,” Beck said.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in Fort Worth peaked at 4,170 in early 2023. This was a 23% increase from the previous year and a 45% increase from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, according to data from the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition.

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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