2022-019 Street Outreach in the Denton County Housing Crisis Response SystemDate: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Street Outreach in the Denton County Housing Crisis Response System
BACKGROUND:
Staff drafted an ISR in October 2021 (ISR 2021-091) that provided information on current
homeless response resources and plans for future expansion. The Denton County Housing Crisis
Response System (HCRS) is a coordinated effort among homelessness service agencies to prevent
homelessness and find permanent housing for people who are experiencing homelessness.
DISCUSSION:
The goal of Street Outreach in the Housing Crisis Response System (HCRS) is to expand outreach
efforts to vulnerable populations and connect them to shelter and/or permanent housing. Achieving
this goal requires that Street Outreach programs collaborate with service providers throughout the
housing process and utilize multiple strategies to assist people with obtaining permanent housing.
The following is an overview of Street Outreach services provided throughout the HCRS
continuum:
• Street Outreach: Outreach to encampments and other unsheltered location focuses on
building rapport by meeting people where they are staying and using person-centered,
trauma-informed relationship building techniques. Outreach to unsheltered locations
provides individuals immediate referrals to emergency shelter or temporary housing and
various other resources (e.g., critical documents, employment) necessary for obtaining
housing.
• Coordinated Entry (CE) and the Housing Priority List (HPL): Denton uses a uniform
process to quickly identify, assess, refer, and connect people experiencing literal
homelessness to housing assistance programs. Households that have completed the CE
assessment are referred to housing programs that will best meet their needs and added to
the HPL to ensure the most vulnerable households are prioritized for housing. Street
Outreach completes on the spot CE assessments, with the consent of the household, at
unsheltered locations.
• Diversion: Diversion is a client-centered, strengths-based approach to finding alternative
housing solutions, short term or long term, to prevent homelessness or quickly exit from
homelessness. Street Outreach uses problem solving conversations to help identify
immediate housing options through case management, mediation, or financial assistance.
• Emergency Shelter and Temporary Housing: Emergency shelter and temporary housing
provides same day access to shelter for people experiencing homelessness or fleeing
domestic violence. The goal is to provide temporary shelter while assisting with locating
permanent housing. Currently the City provides $400,000 to Our Daily Bread annually
Date: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019
through the General Fund for an Enhanced Shelter program at the Monsignor King
Outreach Center (MKOC). Additionally, the City currently funds a temporary Hotel
Voucher Program through the American Rescue Plan providing noncongregate funding at
a local hotel. The City is remodeling a building at 909 Loop 288 that will serve as a 24/7
day and night shelter for people experiencing homelessness. MKOC will move their
operations to the Loop 288 building when it opens, which is estimated to be December
2022. Shelter providers collaborate with Street Outreach by reserving bed space for people
living unsheltered. Street Outreach communicates directly with shelter staff when an
individual experiencing unsheltered homeless chooses to go to shelter and provides
transportation to the shelter, if needed.
• Permanent Housing: The permanent housing programs for households experiencing literal
homelessness in Denton include Rapid Rehousing and Permanent Supportive Housing, and
Homelessness Prevention for households who are at risk of homelessness. The City
administers $100,000 of grant funding annually through the General Fund for Rapid
Rehousing (RRH). The Community Services Advisory Committee (CSAC) receives
applications for RRH and makes recommendations to Council. Currently, Our Daily Bread
is the recipient of the RRH funding for FY 2021/22. Street Outreach works with households
experiencing literal homelessness and provides referrals to the appropriate program after
completing the CE assessment, and ongoing case management is provided until households
are connected to a housing program.
STREET OUTREACH TEAMS
Street Outreach services in Denton are provided through teams from the Police Department’s
Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) and Giving Hope, Inc. (GHI) Street Outreach Program. The City
administers an annual $64,600 grant for Street Outreach. The CSAC receives applications for
Street Outreach and makes recommendations to Council. Giving Hope, Inc. is the current recipient
of Street Outreach funding for FY 2021/22. GHI Street Outreach staff consist of one Coordinator,
and HOT staff consist of two Officers and one Stability Case Worker, who was hired in January
2022 and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.
GHI staff conduct outreach to known encampments, parking lots, abandoned buildings, and
wooded areas three times per week, one day with HOT and two days on their own. In addition to
weekly collaboration with GHI Street Outreach, HOT responds to reports of new encampments
and other locations where people may be staying unsheltered. Animal Services periodically
accompanies GHI and HOT staff to encampments to provide free vaccinations for animals living
in encampments and other unsheltered locations.
People who are living unsheltered experience mental health and substance use conditions at a
higher rate than those who are sheltered. The HOT Stability Case Worker supports households
throughout the housing process and after obtaining permanent housing with the goal to maintain
housing and engagement in mental health and substance use services. GHI’s Street Outreach grant
provides financial assistance for substance use and behavioral health fees associated with Intensive
Outpatient Program, Supportive Outpatient Program, and residential treatment.
Date: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019
HB 1925 went into effect on September 1, 2021, and prohibits camping in municipally owned
public space, with exceptions, unless permission to allow such camping is received by the state.
Prior to HB 1925, the City’s internal Homeless Response Team implemented a collaborative
process to identify, assess, outreach, and if necessary clean sites where people are living
unsheltered. The following data are gathered and analyzed by multiple departments to determine
if/when an encampment should be cleaned:
• Location (map with surrounding properties and ownership, general identifying description)
• Site Conditions (size of area, # of individuals, active/abandoned, written & photo docs,
etc.)
• Outreach (description if prior interaction, dates and # of outreach attempts)
• Public Safety Data (# and types of PD and FD calls, safety hazards, etc.)
• Public Health (volume & makeup of trash, debris, hazards, nuisances, contamination, etc.)
• Resident Concerns (complaints, quality of life issues)
Parks and Recreation coordinates cleanup of any sites on public property. Community
Improvement Services (CIS) works with private property owners when sites are on private
property to clean and clear sites. Prior to any encampment being cleared, HOT and GHI collaborate
to connect with people occupying the encampments to refer them to shelter and housing, and
written notice of the area being cleaned is posted no less than fifteen (15) days in advance. The
length of time to complete this process varies when there is not a threat to public health or safety,
so that adequate time is provided to refer the individuals living at the site to shelter and other
resources. When sites are determined to be an immediate threat to public health and safety the
process for cleaning and clearing the site happens as quickly as possible. HB 1925 did not have
any major impacts to the City’s current process other than to expedite the timeline of cleaning
encampments on public property in some instances.
Staff drafted an ISR in January 2022 (ISR 2022-005) providing information on a new initiative
through the Police Department’s Homeless Outreach Team. The Drop Program provides an
opportunity for individuals experiencing homelessness to have a citation dropped provided they
complete specific, achievable goals related to obtaining housing stability.
FUTURE EXPANSION OF STREET OUTREACH
Future goals for expanding outreach include implementing the Community Health Paramedic
position to HOT funded through the American Rescue Plan (ARP). The Community Health
Paramedic, who was hired in March 2022, will go with HOT to unsheltered locations to provide
medical assessments, basic medical care, and connect individuals living unsheltered to additional
medical resources as needed. The goal for the paramedic position is to address basic healthcare
needs of individuals living unsheltered and reduce the number of emergency room visits.
STAFF CONTACT:
Megan Ball, Community Services
REQUESTOR: (List Council Member Name/Board, Commission or Committee/Staff Initiated)
Council Member Armintor
Date: March 25, 2022 Report No. 2022-019
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS:
Community Services, Denton Police Department