Show Your Support for the City of Fort Worth's Homelessness Programs

Directions Home is the the City of Fort Worth's 10-year plan to make homelessness rare, short-term, and non-recurring. It was passed by Mayor Mike Moncrief and the Mayor's Advisory Commission on Homelessness in 2008, and fully funded by City Council for FY2010. Now, City Council is once again charged with closing a large budget gap for FY2011. City funding is crucial to ending homelessness in the lives of Tarrant County citizens. Read more about Directions Home here. Read first-hand accounts of Directions Home success stories here.

Why should I support directions home?

• Directions Home is a recognized national model of a 10-year plan that has strengthened the collaboration between service provider, housing, government, faith-based, and business organizations to end the experience of homelessness.
• Directions Home is a successful plan that has made measurable success. Directions Home met their goal to house 200 of the most vulnerable homeless in Fort Worth.
• Since the Directions Home plan in 2008, homelessness has decreased by 16.72% in Tarrant County. Other urban cities across the nation saw dramatic increases in homelessness, some in double digits.
• Directions Home was key to our community receiving $1,351,148 in new federal funds in the past two years for housing the disabled and families with children.
• Continued full funding of Directions Home sets our course to achieve the goal of becoming a "high performing community" by 2013. This federal designation will directly increase the amount and local authority over more federal dollars. Funding Directions Home programs now will reduce our future reliance on city tax dollars.

How can I Show my Support?

• Write a letter or send a postcard. Write your own personal letter to Mayor Moncrief, the City Manager, or your City Council representative, or download and send this support card. Mailing addresses are below.

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• Call, fax, or e-mail. Below is the contact information for Mayor Moncrief, the City Manager, and each City Council representative. Click here to download the Fort Worth council district map.

• Write an editoral to the local media. You can send a letter to the editor at Fort Worth Star-Telegram or contact your local TV stations to drum-up interest about Directions Home.

• Inform your friends, family, neighbors and other residents of Fort Worth. Let other residents of Fort Worth know the importance of fully funding the Directions Home initiative. Contact your local neighborhood association. You can find them online with the Fort Worth Neighborhood Association Database.

• Stay updated on the City Council's budget process.

  • Watch City Council meetings on city cable or on the City of Fort Worth's website.

  • Learn about the budget process on the City of Fort Worth's website. Use their suggestion form to support Directions Home.

  • Attend City Council meetings. Meetings are open to the public and are held at City Hall at 1000 Throckmorton St. These dates are also listed on the Events Calendar.

With your support, we can make a difference and hold the City of Fort Worth to its commitment to make homelessness a rare, short-term, and non-recurring experience!

© 2010 Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, All Rights Reserved.