Multi-year Trends Point to Success

Posted June 3, 2011

The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition is reporting a slight decrease in the 2011 point-in-time (PIT) count of the homeless compared to 2009. 

Despite very poor employment prospects for low-skill and low-wage workers during the period, the Fort Worth/Arlington/Tarrant County Continuum of Care posted a 1 percent reduction in the number of people who were homeless countywide.

The Directions Home plan was adopted by the Fort Worth City Council and endorsed by the Tarrant County Commissioners Court in Summer 2008. Official point-in-time counts are conducted in odd numbered years; therefore, Directions Home uses data from 2007 as a baseline.  Compared to 2007, the 2011 PIT count shows an 18.9 percent decrease in homelessness county-wide.

During the same period, our Continuum of Care has added 563 units of permanent supportive housing--due in large part to Directions Home and the VASH (HUD-VA supportive housing) program for veterans. Recently announced funding from HUD will enable our community to achieve the six year goal for Directions Home of 544 additional units of supportive housing in the third program year.

Occupancy rates for transitional housing programs have also increased and a Directions Home-funded Housing Specialist at the Fort Worth Housing Authority has recruited 85 additional landlords to work with families and individuals who are moving out of homelessness. UTA/TCU evaluation reports indicate that Directions Home housing opportunities are having positive impacts on housing retention and self-sufficiency—especially increases in income.

• Public Comment Sought on Funding Priorities for Initiatives in Support of the Directions Home Plan to End Chronic Homelessness for Program Year V (April 1, 2013 - March 31, 2014) 
• Multi-year trends point to success
• Homeless count shows more people moving into stable housing 

Data and Reports

• Evaluation of Directions Home Supportive Housing and the Use of Critical Service Systems: Preliminary Results 
• Supportive Housing: Neighborhood Impact

Program Contact

Otis Thornton
Homelessness Program Director
Phone:817-392-7552

Agencies

• Tarrant County Homeless Coalition
• Texas Homelessness Network
• U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness
• HUD Homeless Resource Exchange 
• United Nations Human Settlements Programme
• Corporation for Supportive Housing
• National Alliance to End Homelessness