01/15/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 01/15/2025 06:07
Published on January 15, 2025
The Fort Worth City Council heard an extensive update on homelessness strategies during a work session Tuesday.
Fort Worth experienced a rise in homelessness following the COVID-19 pandemic, with unsheltered homelessness increasing by 18% from 2020 to 2024. There have been positive strides in bringing that number back down in recent years, especially between 2023 and 2024, when Fort Worth saw a 12% decrease in homelessness overall and an 11% decrease in unsheltered homelessness.
Recognizing these important trends and the work being done across the local Continuum of Care, staff highlighted updates on several efforts:
Looking ahead, the City shared action items for 2025 and beyond:
At the meeting, it was announced that the City's homelessness unit, previously known as Directions Home, will now be called Homeless Strategies. This name change reflects the City's evolving priorities and its commitment to comprehensive, strategic approaches to homelessness.
Map: The High ImpACT Pilot program is a 17-month pilot program that aims to tackle the intersection of mental health and homelessness by combining high-level, mobile psychiatric services through the creation of a Housing First Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACT Team) with housing assistance.
Get articles like this in your inbox. Subscribe to City News.