\u201cPeople were here at 7:30 in the morning waiting for us to open the doors,\u201d she said. \u201cWe hadn\u2019t even advertised the program yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
Staff closed the portal to work through the applications, and $45,000 was disbursed in 11 days, Klocek said. The program is a short-term homelessness prevention effort, offering one to three months of help paying rent, utilities or both.<\/p>\n
Participants can also get help from the Center\u2019s case managers, who can connect them with longer-term aid if they need it.<\/p>\n
The Center\u2019s contract with the county is for one year, with the possibility of renewal. Klocek acknowledged the possibility that the money could run out early.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat we want to do is stabilize as many households as we can, and do that quickly,\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s our primary charge.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the program runs out of money that fast, it might push the Tarrant County Commissioners Court to fund it even more, Democratic County Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. said after the event.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow can you refute the evidence?\u201d Miles said. \u201cIf you run through $2 million, then it\u2019s incumbent upon us to say the need is greater than we anticipated, and we need to put more money into this program.\u201d<\/p>\n
Miles voted alongside his Republican colleagues to close the county\u2019s own rental and utility assistance arm, the Department of Human Services,\u00a0back in August<\/a>. County staff told commissioners the department was leaving millions of dollars in aid money unspent, and partnering with an outside nonprofit would get more money to people in need.<\/p>\n The Center also took on some clients already working with the county, so they didn\u2019t have to go through the application process again, said Rand Otten, assistant director of the grants program for Tarrant County\u2019s budget department.<\/p>\n Two million dollars isn\u2019t enough, according to Klocek.\u00a0Rising housing costs<\/a>, stagnating wages and layoffs have made surviving in Tarrant County more difficult than ever, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a time of very high need and a lot of fear for people,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n People in need of assistance can apply online\u00a0at the Center for Transforming Lives\u2019 website,<\/a>\u00a0or in person. The portal is still closed due to the volume of applications, but it is expected to reopen the Monday after Thanksgiving, Center spokesperson Trish Rodriguez said in an email.<\/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
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