Homelessness
$3 Million Investment in Overcoming Homelessness
United Way is allocating almost $3 million to about a dozen local nonprofit agencies that provide homeless services. The funds, which are from the City of Fort Worth, the State of Texas and last year’s United Way campaign, will be used mainly to help people get into affordable housing as soon as possible.
Most of the money—$2.3 million—comes from the City of Fort Worth General Revenue Fund to continue implementation of the City’s Directions Home plan. Begun in 2008, the 10-year plan is working to make homelessness a “rare, short-term and non-recurring experience” in Fort Worth. United Way manages the grant-making process.
Members of the United Way Special Allocations Committee on Homelessness are Commissioner Roy Brooks, Mayor Robert Cluck, Mike Guyton, Rev. Brooks Harrington, Bob Herchert, Tim McKinney, Mike Moncrief, Rosa Navejar, Mayor Betsy Price, John Robinson, Lisa Rose and Judge Glen Whitley.
Directions Home strategies include placing 242 people in housing with supportive services and expanding services that help people get jobs and deal with mental health and substance abuse issues.
Directions Home has added 536 units of permanent supportive housing to date, accomplishing in three years what it had hoped to achieve in six years. Examples of permanent supportive housing are Cornerstone New Life Center in Fort Worth’s Fairmount neighborhood and The Villages at Samaritan House on the Near South Side.
On January 27, 2011, the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition counted 2,169 people who were homeless in Fort Worth. That was 507 people—or 19 percent—fewer than in 2007.
Our Vision
Tarrant County will be a place where children, individuals and families thrive, where neighbors care for each other and where people willingly share the responsibility of ensuring a safe and healthy community for all.
Our Mission
To improve lives across our diverse communities by:
- Prioritizing needs in education, income and health
- Forming innovative and effective partnerships with other organizations
- Strategically raising and investing resources to make lasting change
Our Diversity Statement
United Way of Tarrant County values and seeks diversity by respecting the knowledge, abilities and experience of all individuals. Our commitment is to support an inclusive environment reflecting our United Way communities and accomplishing our mission.
