Homeless Resources
If you are homeless, at risk of becoming homeless, or know
someone that is homeless in Tarrant and Parker Counties, there is
help available. The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition's purpose is
to bring Tarrant and Parker County residents out of homelessness.
But, what is homelessness exactly? How does the government define
who is homeless?
The
United States Code contains the official federal definition of
homeless. In Title 42, Chapter 119, Subchapter I, the term
"homeless" or "homeless individual or homeless person" is defined
as:
- an individual who lacks a fixed, regular, and adequate
nighttime residence;
- an individual who is not imprisoned or otherwise detained
pursuant to an Act of the Congress or a State law; or
- an individual who has a primary nighttime residence that is -
- a supervised publicly or privately operated shelter designed to
provide temporary living accommodations (including welfare hotels,
congregate shelters, and transitional housing for the mentally
ill);
- an institution that provides a temporary residence for
individuals intended to be institutionalized; or
- a public or private place not designed for, or ordinarily used
as, a regular sleeping accommodation for human beings.
According to the
HUD Chronic Homeless Fact Sheet, a person who is
"chronically homeless" is an unaccompanied homeless individual with
a disabling condition who has either been continuously homeless for
a year or more OR has had at least 4 episodes of homelessness in
the past 3 years. In order to be considered chronically homeless, a
person must have been sleeping in a place not meant for human
habitation (e.g., living on the streets) and/or in an emergency
homeless shelter. A disabling condition is defined as "a
diagnosable substance use disorder, serious mental illness,
developmental disability, or chronic physical illness or
disability, including the co-occurrence of two or more of these
conditions." A disabling condition limits an individual's ability
to work or perform one or more activities of daily living. An
episode of homelessness is a separate, distinct, and sustained stay
on the streets and/or in an emergency homeless shelter. A
chronically homeless person must be unaccompanied and disabled
during each episode.
The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (PL100-77) was the first
and only major federal legislative response to homelessness. Signed
into law by President Ronald Reagan on July 22, 1987, the
McKinney-Vento Act consisted of 15 programs providing a range
of services to people who are experiencing or falling into
homelessness, including the Supportive Housing, Shelter Plus
Care, Single Room Occupancy, and Emergency Shelter Grant
Programs. Since its enactment, it has been amended several times
and it is presently up for renewal. Read more about the
McKinney-Vento Act at the HUD website.
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