Those receiving services were classified as the hardest to house, meaning they frequently interact with law enforcement, and their absence from neighborhoods is noticeable, Homeless Strategies manager Tara Perez told the council during a June 17 meeting.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn any given day, we have approximately 900 unsheltered folks in the city,\u201d Perez said. \u201cThis program is specifically targeting those who are the most visible, that I would say have an outsized or disproportionate impact on their neighbors and businesses.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
High ImpACT focused on seven target areas across the city where homelessness was deemed prevalent, including several near downtown and along busy streets.<\/p>\n
To be eligible for assistance, people must be unsheltered in a target area and experiencing either long-term unsheltered homelessness and\/or severe mental illness.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Over the pilot\u2019s first year, city officials worked with My Health My Resources of Tarrant County<\/a>, Acclaim Health<\/a> and Partnership Home<\/a> to identify 98 people in need across the areas. They then hired and trained a team made up of physician assistants, mental health professionals and a landlord engagement coordinator to conduct outreach.<\/p>\n The 17-month pilot cost about $3.27 million.<\/p>\n Council member Elizabeth Beck, whose district includes multiple target areas across downtown and Near Southside, said at Tuesday\u2019s meeting that she hopes to see High ImpACT\u2019s initiatives go citywide as it ramps up from pilot into a full-fledged program.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not an insignificant price tag, but the work that we\u2019re able to do through this program has really made a tremendous amount of difference,\u201d Beck said.<\/p>\n Why does Fort Worth consider High ImpACT a success?<\/p>\n In May 2024, the city launched the pilot with five goals to reach by Sept. 30, 2025.\u00a0<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where it stood as of April 30:\u00a0<\/p>\n The median housed High ImpACT client was homeless for 7.5 years and was 54 years old, Perez said.<\/p>\n Council members applauded the program at the June meeting and expressed interest in expanding the efforts to other areas of the city.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s a huge opportunity here, but if we don\u2019t take the time to plan, we\u2019re going to miss an opportunity to continue to serve the homeless community,\u201d said council member Macy Hill, whose district in northwest Fort Worth does not overlap with any of the seven target areas.<\/p>\n Council member Deborah Peoples, who similarly did not represent any target areas, agreed, calling the program a necessary, \u201cmultipronged\u201d approach to homelessness.<\/p>\n \u201cHomelessness is not just a Fort Worth problem. It\u2019s a national problem,\u201d Peoples said. \u201cIf we, as a city, can come up with a way to start cracking this problem, we could lead the nation in how we do this.\u201d<\/p>\n It cost the city about $44,000 to house each individual over its pilot year \u2014 a number Mayor Mattie Parker acknowledged at the June meeting was expensive. However, she said, it ultimately costs taxpayers less than if the clients stayed on the street and received other pricey medical or nonprofit services.<\/p>\n \u201cOn a year-over-year basis, we\u2019re moving people through the system, getting them out of the most expensive triage system of services \u2014 which is what this pilot is, to get people off the streets \u2014 and then move them into a voucher program or some other sustainable some sort of funding when they don\u2019t need the full wrap-around services,\u201d Parker said.<\/p>\n If an unsheltered resident spends a year in a state psychiatric hospital, it would cost taxpayers about $270,000, city officials said.<\/p>\n It takes \u201cintensive\u201d efforts to keep the program\u2019s clients in housing, Perez explained in June. Some need a visit from the psychiatric team daily. In April, 39% of clients needing mental health treatment had agreed to it.<\/p>\n In situations where a person is deemed a danger to themselves or others, High ImpACT gets them into JPS psychiatric hospital or another institution. After they are discharged from the hospital, they can receive housing services from the program.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThose who are being placed in neighborhoods \u2014 they are safe neighbors, there should be no concern,\u201d council member Charlie Lauersdorf said at the June meeting.<\/p>\n The program\u2019s next steps include developing plans for target areas with relevant partner departments, focusing on anti-panhandling efforts and working to secure long-term housing assistance to transfer existing clients out of High ImpACT services so new clients can be helped.<\/p>\n Drew Shaw is a government accountability reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at drew.shaw@fortworthreport.org<\/a> or @shawlings601<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n\n
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Council member Macy Hill talks to her fellow council members June 17, 2025, during a City Council work session at Fort Worth City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Goss-6-17-CityCouncil-09.jpg\")
Council members Deborah Peoples, right, and Charles Lauersdorf listen to a presentation June 17, 2025, during a City Council work session at Fort Worth City Hall. (Mary Abby Goss | Fort Worth Report)<\/p>\n
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