Fort Worth is preparing a program aimed at homeless residents 55 and older, a group that makes up about a third of the people the city's street outreach teams serve.
The Flora Brewer Bridge Program would move 105 unsheltered people in that age group into housing and connect them with services, the city said in an announcement Tuesday. The City Council is scheduled to consider a contract with DRC Solutions, the group that would provide the services, on Oct. 27.
Who it is for
This January's Point-in-Time Count found 1,083 people living unsheltered in Fort Worth, about 70% more than in 2020, according to the city. That count covers people sleeping outdoors, in vehicles, in abandoned buildings, under overpasses and in parks.
DRC Solutions, which runs city-funded street outreach, reports that 34% of the people its teams serve are 55 or older and that 42% have been homeless for more than five years. The city has expanded that outreach staff from two workers to six.
City officials wrote that many people in this age group are unlikely to leave homelessness through a job because of their age, health and the time they have spent on the street, and need a different path to housing and care.
How it would work
Fort Worth Housing Solutions has set aside 105 tenant-based rental vouchers for the program, which the city values at about $1.7 million a year in federal funds. The housing authority's board revised its plan on Sept. 17 to make room for the program.
DRC Solutions would assess each participant and build an individual plan that could include medical and behavioral health care, addiction services, money management, housekeeping help and meal preparation. A central goal is getting participants enrolled in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which can cover more intensive care if someone needs it. As participants move onto those benefits, their spots can go to new clients.
Service costs would be shared equally between the city and the Flora Fund at the North Texas Communities Foundation, which has committed $1.7 million across five years. The program carries the name of Flora Brewer, a former president of Paulos Properties who was active in local homelessness work and left money to the foundation for housing and services.
Timeline
If the council approves the contract, outreach teams would start identifying people who qualify and helping them gather documents. The city expects to begin matching clients and issuing vouchers in January 2027, adding people monthly until the program reaches 105 participants over about 18 months.
Sources
fortworthtexas.gov
