Dallas Fort Worth Nonprofit Business Journal

Tag: Tarrant County Homeless Coalition

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition rebrands as Partnership Home

    The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition is renaming the nonprofit “Partnership Home” to better reflect the organization’s mission for transformative change through thought leadership, strong partnerships and innovative solutions. Partnership Home was announced during a “Key Holders” breakfast and audience of local nonprofit leaders, community partners and elected officials.

    “Our impact in this community is critically linked to our partnerships and the shared vision of being a vibrant community where everyone has a place to call home,” said Partnership Home Executive Director Lauren King. “With a renewed focus on innovative solutions, thought leadership, and strengthening existing and new community partnerships, our goal is to build on a foundation of success to meet the continued and emerging needs as our community changes.” 

    Partnership Home’s priorities include managing homeless response, investing in homeless prevention and advancing housing development. In June of this year, (under its former name) Partnership Home announced the creation of a working group call HOME FTW, a collaboration of organizations actively working in Fort Worth to develop affordable “workforce” housing, with a focus to formally support the city of Fort Worth’s implementation of its Neighborhood Conservation Plan and Affordable Housing Strategy.

    HOME FTW’s working group includes Columbia Renaissance Heights, Development Corporation of Tarrant County, Design Fort Worth, Fort Worth Community Land Trust, Habitat for Humanity, Housing Channel, Journey Home Housing, New Leaf Community Services, Ojala Partners LP, Phan Foundation, Rainwater Foundation, Samaritan House, Partnership Home and the United Way of Tarrant County.                        

    “We have become a region where the face of housing instability and homelessness has changed; these are now issues for two-income families, teachers, first responders and others. As an organization, Partnership Home is committed to evolving to reflect the changing demographics and needs of our community,” commented Dr. Victoria Farrar-Myers, Partnership Home board chairwoman and former City of Arlington Mayor Pro Tem and City Council Member. “We’re at a critical juncture and can no longer solely react to problems, but must also look at solving underlying causes related to housing affordability, and search for proven solutions and significant policy change to impact our region’s growing workforce.”

    Housing Summit

    Partnership Home also announced its hosting of a Housing Summit to be held in Fort Worth on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, at the downtown Sheraton Hotel. The day-long event will include panel discussions:  If We Don’t Build it, They Will Still Come; The Unusual Suspects (Untraditional Partners), Show Me the Money and What’s in Your Tool Box? Texas-Economist Ray Perryman is scheduled as the luncheon keynote speaker. For more information, contact Aesha Desai with Partnership Home at aesha@ahomewithhope.org.

    Partnership Home transforms the community through leadership, partnership, and innovation. They partner with more than 50 organizations that are working to end and prevent homelessness and develop affordable housing. In 2023, Partnership Home trained more than 2,500 professionals, partnered with 130 landlords and property owners, and secured more than $55 million to develop supportive housing.

    source: press release

  • Unhoused population declines in Tarrant & Parker counties

    Unhoused population declines in Tarrant & Parker counties

    The number of individuals experiencing homelessness throughout Tarrant and Parker counties has decreased by 12% since 2023, according to the 2024 State of the Homeless report presented today by Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Executive Director Lauren King.

    Tarrant County Homeless Coalition leads the community solution to homelessness in greater Tarrant and Parker counties by serving as a catalyst for community transformation. The Homeless Coalition partners with more than 40 organizations and provides training, technical assistance and other solutions for organizations, and works with city leaders and Tarrant County’s Continuum of Care (CoC) board, a community-based leadership body responsible for guiding Tarrant and Parker counties toward providing a home for all.

    The decline in numbers come from the annual Point In Time Count, a nationwide event conducted locally in January to provide a snapshot of what homelessness looks like on one night for every community in the country.

    Almost 400 volunteers were mobilized to conduct the count throughout Tarrant and Parker counties on January 25, when a total of 2,390 people were identified as experiencing homelessness. The count showed that 59% of people experiencing homelessness were staying in a shelter or transitional housing, while 41% were unsheltered.

    Recent data collected by the Homeless Coalition also shows that family and veteran homelessness have declined, after a significant increase in recent years — with veteran homelessness decreasing by 14% and family homelessness decreasing by 33%. King attributes this to strong community partnerships, an increase in housing funding for veterans thorough the Department of Veterans Affairs, and an influx of public and private dollars to support affordable housing development and other interventions.  

    “This is good news and clearly demonstrates that by investing in housing programs and services with appropriate funding, policy efforts, and community partnerships, the number of people experiencing homelessness will decrease,” King said. “With the right resources, we can tackle the problem head-on, and our community will be stronger for it.”

    Findings from the report include:

    • 12% overall decrease in homelessness on the night of the count
    • 11% decrease in unsheltered homelessness
    • 5,814 households experienced homelessness throughout the year
    • 64% of households experienced homelessness for the first time
    • 16,488 persons received homeless services through prevention, shelter, outreach, and housing programs, an increase of 17% from 2022

    Earlier this year, the Homeless Coalition received a $2 million grant from the Bezos Foundation that was distributed to seven local organizations to support homeless diversion efforts; community housing navigators and landlord engagement activities; financial assistance that allows individuals with income potential to quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing; and employment assistance, childcare, and trauma support services for families.

    An additional $20 million in federal funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Continuum of Care (CoC) program will help the community provide housing assistance and supportive services to individuals experiencing homelessness, and cover costs related to program planning and data collection. This is an annual award and was a 10% increase from prior years.

    King said the city of Fort Worth is doing its part by reducing barriers for those using vouchers for rental assistance and greenlighting a 17-month pilot program that will provide increased resources for mental health assistance in seven areas of the community experiencing the most significant issues with unsheltered homeless individuals.

    “Affordable housing is not a luxury. It is a necessity for this community’s long-term growth and success. If we don’t address this problem today, we will see long-lasting impacts on other areas like education and economic development,” King said. “The face of homelessness is a childcare provider or a restaurant worker or one of the many other people we encounter every day that help our community thrive. But unlike many, they lack the resources and safety net to recover when the market prices them out of an apartment, or an unexpected medical expense takes their savings.”

    To view the State of the Homeless Report presentation go to: https://www.facebook.com/thetchc.

    source: press release

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition ED receives TCU Alumni distinction

    Lauren King, Executive Director of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, has been named the 2024 Texas Christian University Department of Social Work Alumni of the Year for 2024. The award was presented at the TCU Social Work Month Student and Alumni Mixer on March 6.

    Each year, TCU’s Department of Social Work honors an alumnus for exceptional professional achievements, initiatives or leadership in practice/clinical excellence, community engagement, advocacy, education or administration. The award presentation was made by Nada Elias-Lambert, Ph.D., LMSW, associate professor and Department of Social Work chair.

    “I am humbled by this honor,” King said. “I hope this award inspires today’s students to pursue their aspirations and know they will make a difference as they work to improve lives and communities around the country.”

    She added: “TCU Department of Social Work helped shape me into the professional and social worker I am today.” She believes her education at TCU provided a strong foundation to help her serve the community for the past two decades and the skills to lead a community solution to homelessness that will ensure the area’s future vitality. 

    King graduated from TCU in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work and earned a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Texas in Austin in 2004. That same year, she became community relations director of SafeHaven of Tarrant County, a shelter and resource for women facing the dangers of domestic violence. In 2006, she joined Catholic Charities of Fort Worth, first in fundraising and eventually served as director of programs. In that role, King implemented programs that aided low-income families, unsheltered homeless and other vulnerable individuals.

    From 2009 to 2017, King served as an adjunct professor for TCU’s Department of Social Work. During that time, she helped develop and launch the department’s Master of Social Work (MSW) program. Her responsibilities included recruiting field agencies/instructors, establishing policies and procedures related to field education, and implementing new systems to manage field education.

    King joined the Homeless Coalition in 2017 as director of development. She later became director of community relations and interim executive director, prior to taking the helm as permanent executive director in 2020.

    Today, King leads an organization that is well positioned to continue addressing homelessness and the shortage of affordable housing by partnering with dozens of local organizations and government leaders to achieve its vision of a vibrant community where individuals and families have a place to call home and the resources to live their best lives. The Homeless Coalition also secures and manages millions of dollars in public and private funding to support homeless services, provides training for partner organizations, and works with landlords and property owners to help low-income families access affordable housing.

    source: press release

  • Tarrant Homeless Coalition announces $2.5M Bezos Day 1 Families Fund grant

    Tarrant Homeless Coalition announces $2.5M Bezos Day 1 Families Fund grant

    The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition (Homeless Coalition) announced that seven local organizations will collectively receive $2 million from the $2.5 million the Homeless Coalition received from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund Grant in November 2023.

    In response to proposals received last month, a community funding committee, including people with lived experience, allocated money to support the following functions:

    • Diversion—Immediately addressing the needs of individuals who have lost housing. Examples include negotiated returns to their previous housing or reunion with family or friends.
    • Navigation and Linkage—Providing assistance in navigating the homeless response system and removing barriers to achieving housing. Examples include community housing navigators and landlord engagement activities.
    • Rapid Exit—Offeringlimited financial assistance to those with income potential and minimal barriers to quickly exit homelessness and return to permanent housing.
    • Supportive Services—Addressing the special needs of families experiencing homelessness. Examples include employment assistance programs, childcare and trauma counseling.

    Area organizations involved in ending homelessness had until Jan. 26 to submit proposals detailing how they would use Bezos Day 1 Families Funds to address those functions. Based on those proposals, the funding committee made the following allocations to be awarded in 2024 and 2025:

    • Arlington Housing Authority—AHA Diversion Program (Diversion); $125,000 annually.
    • Catholic Charities, Diocese of Fort Worth—Padua: An Intensive Case Management Intervention (Supportive Services); $300,000 annually.
    • Center for Transforming Lives—CTL Rapid Exit (Rapid Exit); $125,000 annually.
    • DRC Solutions—Family Navigation (Linkage/Navigation); $105,070 annually.
    • Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE)—Grace Rapid Exit (Rapid Exit); $125,000 annually.
    • Presbyterian Night Shelter–Rapid Exit+ (Rapid Exit); $115,000 annually.
    • Homeless Coalition—Parker County Diversion (Diversion); $10,000 annually.
    • Homeless Coalition-–Families Landlord Engagement Program (Linkage/Navigation); $94,930 annually.

    “We felt a sense of urgency to quickly identify the most effective and efficient ways to use this generous gift from the Bezos Foundation,” said Lauren King, Homeless Coalition executive director. “Our community partners stepped up with their plans and we know this funding will be used to make a real impact for the members of our community facing homelessness.”

    Cindy Casey, Head of Client Services at Catholic Charities Fort Worth, agrees. “This partnership is the result of years of collaboration and a shared commitment to serving our Tarrant County friends and neighbors in need,” she said. “At Catholic Charities Fort Worth, we know that safe and secure housing is essential to one’s ability to rise above poverty. By partnering with the Homeless Coalition to bring our signature style of holistic, evidence-based case management to families experiencing homelessness, we’re confident that, together, we can help countless families live their bigger, brighter futures.”

    Since 2018, the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund has awarded more than $639 million to organizations around the country to help them identify unsheltered families, enable families regain housing, and connect families experiencing homelessness to vital services.

    source: press release

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition awarded $2.5 Million Bezos Day 1 Families Fund grant

    Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, a nonprofit leading the community solution to homelessness in Tarrant County, announced that it has received a $2.5 million grant from the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund—the largest private gift in the organization’s history. This is the sixth round of annual Day 1 Families Fund grants, which recognize leading organizations doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness secure housing and achieve stability.

    “This gift from Bezos Day 1 Families Fund is transformational for our organization and will have incredible impact on our community,” said Lauren King, executive director of the Homeless Coalition. “This funding comes at a critical time when more families than ever are experiencing homelessness in our community and as we look for more innovative ways to meet those increased needs.”

    This one-time, uniquely flexible grant will support the Homeless Coalition in serving as a critical lifeline to children and adults in families experiencing homelessness, who represent more than a quarter of the homeless population nationally. The Homeless Coalition plans to use its Day 1 Families Fund grant to enhance services available to family’s experiencing homelessness with increased efforts to end homelessness quickly through diversion, housing location and additional supports to help families return to self-sufficiency.

    Tarrant County Homeless Coalition was selected as a Day 1 Families Fund grant recipient by a group of national advisors who are leading advocates and experts on homelessness and service provision. National advisors brought expertise on housing justice, advancing racial equity and helping programs employ resources effectively to assist families out of homelessness.

    Over the past six years, the Day 1 Families Fund has provided 208 grants totaling more than $630 million to organizations around the country working on the frontlines to identify unsheltered families, help families regain housing and connect families experiencing homelessness to vital services. A selection of more than half of the Day 1 Families Fund grantees who received funding between 2018 through 2021 report that, to date, they have used their grants to divert more than 28,000 families from experiencing homelessness, connect more than 30,000 unsheltered families with safe shelter and help more than 75,000 families access the services they need.

    This year, the Fund issued a total of $117.55 million in grants to 38 organizations. The Day 1 Families Fund has now granted this award to organizations in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. New states this year include Arkansas, Vermont and Wyoming. The full list of awardees is available at bezosdayonefund.org/day1familiesfund. Launched in 2018, the Bezos Day One Fund made a $2 billion commitment to focus on making meaningful and lasting impacts in two areas: funding existing nonprofits that help families experiencing homelessness, and creating a network of new, nonprofit tier-one preschools in low-income communities. The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to help families experiencing homelessness—including those who are unsheltered or staying in shelters—regain safe, stable housing and achieve well-being. The vision statement comes from the inspiring Mary’s Place in Seattle: no child sleeps outside.

    source: press release

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Selects New Executive Director

    Tarrant County Homeless Coalition’s board named Lauren King as the agency’s next executive director, City of Fort Worth Community Updates reports.

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Presents Annual Awards

    The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, located in Fort Worth, shared winners of the Annual Awards and  Appreciation Luncheon for Case Managers and service providers in Tarrant and Parker County.

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition Launches New Challenge

    The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, located in Fort Worth, shared their 100 Day Challenge Kickoff. The challenge will raise funds to impact youth homelessness.

  • Tarrant County Homeless Coalition exceeds goal for housing homeless Veterans in Fort Worth

    NBC News DFW reported on Dec. 20th that the city of Fort Worth teamed up the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition and other service organizations in an effort to collaborate and prioritize efforts to house homeless Veterans. According to the report, the collaborative effort far exceeded its goal for 2018 of housing 100 homeless veterans, finding homes for 181.

    The majority of funding comes from federal grants but the city also helped. Barry Daniels, age 54, was one of the vets to receive housing. Daniels joined the U.S. Army at age 19 and later in life became addicted to drugs and entered into the prison system, consequently ending up homeless. He said he is grateful, “You can’t always rely on handouts all the time,” he said. “It’s great we get them. It’s great we get fed every day and we don’t have to worry about that. But please if you have an addiction seek help and try to go to work and get your life back together.” He started working at the Presbyterian Night Shelter helping pick up trash around the city. “If I can do it, anybody can do it,” he said.