Volunteers Amy Bush, Madison Owen and Brandon Molina ask Penny, accompanied by her dog, questions about her homeless status during the Point in Time Count on Jan. 25, 2024. (Camilo Diaz | Fort Worth Report)
Fort Worth businesses will soon have a new tool to address issues involving homeless people.
Business owners have told the Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce that homelessness is a daily concern that impacts their operations — whether it’s trespassing, disruptions or other incidents.
To help, the chamber launched a Homelessness Task Force to develop a comprehensive toolkit to aid businesses and their employees. The chamber’s survey of 420 business owners found that 65% dealt with homeless-related issues in 2023.
The toolkit — intended to help businesses with effective strategies — is set to be released in January 2025
Mia Moss, the owner of Black Coffee in east Fort Worth’s Polytechnic Heights neighborhood, has been named chair of the task force, which will be composed of experts who are qualified to support the effort.
“Representatives from Downtown Fort Worth Inc., Camp Bowie District, Partnership Home and several local business owners are actively contributing to ensure this toolkit not only minimizes the impact of homelessness on businesses but also respects the dignity of individuals experiencing homelessness across our community,” Moss said.
The chamber said the toolkit will include various resources that include steps for de-escalating incidents and a guide that can be placed in break rooms for staff. The kit will include resources from the city of Fort Worth, nonprofits and other service providers that can offer assistance.
The 2024 Point in Time Count on Jan. 25 recorded 2,390 people, including veterans and families, living on the streets across Tarrant and Parker counties. Of that number, 81% were in Fort Worth.
However, the number of homeless people decreased by 12% in 2024 thanks to new housing solutions, Lauren King, executive director of the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition now known as Partnership Home, said in a March 27 address.
Partnership Home, which manages homeless response in Tarrant and Parker counties, invests in homelessness prevention and housing development programs by partnering with more than 50 local organizations. In 2023, the nonprofit trained more than 2,500 professionals, partnered with 130 landlords and property owners, and secured more than $55 million to develop supportive housing, the organization said in a news release
In the summer, the nonprofit created a working group called HOME Fort Worth, a collaborative effort between several organizations to develop affordable housing.
On an average day, about 2,100 people in Tarrant County are homeless, King told the Fort Worth Report in September.
Through collaboration and resources, the intent of the toolkit is to “create a stronger business climate that supports local businesses and enhances economic prosperity for all,” the Fort Worth Chamber said in a statement.
“Initiatives like the Homelessness Task Force and the upcoming toolkit will help build a more resilient community, ensuring that every business has the resources it needs to thrive in Fort Worth,” the statement read.
Eric E. Garcia is a senior business reporter at the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at [email protected].
