HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-021 Homelessness Initiatives Update February 20,2026 Report No. 2026-021
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Fiscal year 2025-26 Q1 Homelessness Initiatives Update.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
In April of last year, an audit of the City's homelessness initiatives was presented to Council, and
staff recommended significant changes to the City's homelessness response, including the
operational model of the shelter and the process for addressing encampments to improve the
efficacy of the response system and address the audit's 19 recommendations related to
homelessness.During the work session,Council directed staff to implement the recommendations.
Over the past year, the City of Denton has advanced implementation of Council direction related
to homelessness response and shelter operations. In September, the Denton Community Shelter
transitioned from a lottery-based system to the Housing Focused Program,prioritizing individuals
engaged in case management and requiring tailored housing stability plans within seven days of
enrollment. Bed capacity was set at 120, based on a 20:1 client-to-case manager ratio. From
September through December, Our Daily Bread (ODB) helped 40 individuals exit to housing,
representing a 31%housing rate compared to 8%under the previous model. Reporting on program
performance is ongoing, though data quality issues in the Homeless Management Information
System(HMIS)remain.
In accordance with Council direction,Community Services established a coordinated encampment
response process in partnership with Police, Parks and Recreation, and other stakeholders.
Centralized tracking began in September, supported by the hiring of key staff. From September
through December, 129 reports were received, of which 43 met the definition of an encampment
and were closed, with a citywide median of 13 days to close compared to the goal of 10 days. Of
these encampments, 13 were on public property, 30 on private property, and three on other
government property. Additional actions include creating bilingual closure signage, developing a
guide for private property owners, and positioning the City for potential changes with federal
funding.
Public safety data indicates reduced demand at the Denton Community Shelter following the
program transition. Police calls to the shelter averaged 2.2 per day from January 2025 through
August, dropping to 1.0 per day from September through December, a 55% decrease. Fire and
EMS calls to the shelter declined from 1.4 per day to 0.8 per day during the same periods, a 43%
reduction. Across the community, overall Police calls related to homelessness remained steady,
though officer-initiated calls increased after August, coinciding with expanded encampment
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
coordination and proactive patrols. Fire Department data shows calls related to homelessness
decreased from about 188 per month before the shelter change to approximately 160 per month
afterward, a 15% decrease.
System-level data monitored by United Way of Denton County shows the number of households
experiencing homelessness declined from 452 in November to 381 in December, with new
assessments also decreasing from 51 in September to 31 in December. For context, the monthly
average of households experiencing homelessness was 449 in 2023, 552 in 2024, and 491 in 2025.
Within 2025, the average prior to the shelter transition was 524, compared to 409 afterward.
Additionally, the Denton County Homeless Coalition received 501(c)(3) designation as The Path
Home, positioning the organization to take a larger role in localized planning and contributing to
a larger leadership conversation on Denton County's place within the Continuum of Care (CoC)
Program.
Looking ahead, the City will continue implementing audit recommendations and Council
direction. Priorities include finalizing the Management Services Operating Agreement (MSOA)
with Our Daily Bread, improving communication with community stakeholders, and documenting
coordinated processes for inclement weather response. Efforts will also focus on refining
encampment reporting, pursuing funding for expanded street outreach, and improving data
integration between service providers. On Jan. 22, The Path Home conducted the annual Point In
Time Count for Denton County, with results anticipated later this spring.
BACKGROUND:
In April of last year, an audit of the City's homelessness initiatives was presented to Council, and
staff recommended significant changes to the City's homelessness response, including the
operational model of the shelter and coordination and process for addressing encampments to
improve the efficacy of the response system and address the audit's 19 recommendations related
to homelessness.
DISCUSSION:
Staff focus since the Work Session has been on the Community Shelter(recommendations 15, 16,
17, 18, 19)and enhancing encampment response/street outreach(recs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14).
Changes to the Shelter Framework
In response to the audit recommendations of dedicated case management and housing plans (rec.
16) and eliminating arbitrary exits due to the lottery system (rec. 15), a plan was created whereby
the Community Shelter would shift from the lottery system that had been utilized since opening to
a temporary emergency housing program for individuals engaged in case management, called the
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
Housing Focused Program.An ad hoc workgroup comprised of those specializing in homelessness
in Denton County met throughout June 2025 and a Shelter Stay Policy (Attachment 1) was
developed, including policies on a waitlist process, program requirements and involuntary exit
procedures (rec. 18). Bed capacity was directly linked to case management capacity at 120 beds,
with a ratio in accordance with best practices of 20 clients to one case manager. Individuals would
be assisted in creating a tailored housing stability plan within seven days of enrollment. This
represents an increased expectation of clients for continued stay at the shelter, while concurrently
increasing the City's expectation of support for clients.
Implementation of the shelter change from a lottery system to the Housing Focused Program took
place from July to September. In July, ODB began communicating the impending changes to
stakeholders and provided clients with a 30-day notice of the termination of the bed lottery and the
transition to their Housing Focused Program. There was deviation from the course of action
established by the ad hoc workgroup, and the client population was not frozen on Aug. 1,with the
bed lottery continuing throughout August. During the last week of August letters were distributed
to individuals in the first 120 positions (65 men and 55 women) on the waitlist that they were
accepted into the program. On Sep. 1, the new Housing Focused Program began and the lottery
system was discontinued.
To monitor the efficacy of the new shelter model, ODB is providing the City with reporting on
pre-entry access,waitlist data,current client participation,an average length of stay,exit outcomes,
and housing retention. A planned amendment of the current management services operating
agreement with the shelter contractor will codify the required reporting metrics. Continued data
quality issues have occurred regarding the accuracy of data in the Homeless Management
Information System (HMIS), including case management record keeping, and waitlist tracking.
The shelter contractor has been transparent about these issues. Staff continues to work closely with
the shelter executive team on accurate reporting of performance metrics (rec. 17).
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
TotalApplications Throughout August, when the
300 application opened, 255
250 applications were received.
During the first month of the
200 program 59 applications were
received, which increased to 108
150 in October and stayed steady
100 through the end of the first quarter.
The shelter began reporting at the
50 beginning of December that there
were no longer women awaiting
° August September October November December services and ODB was able to
enter women into program
Figure 1:Housing Focused Program applications services in the same day that they
presented. Data quality issues in the reporting make it unclear historically how many individuals
have been on the waitlist each month. At present, there are 42 women enrolled in the Housing
Focused Program, and 15 women being contacted on the waitlist, meaning there are 2 women
without allocated beds on the waitlist. There are 56 men currently enrolled with 75 on the waitlist,
meaning there are 66 men who have applied without a bed currently available to them. There are
90 individuals total on the waitlist.
The average monthly enrollment Average Monthly Enrollment
has trended down since the start 120
of the program, from operating at „5 15
95% capacity (an average of 115
individuals) in September to 80% 10 109
capacity (an average of 96 105
,OS
individuals) in December.
100
96
Sometimes, individuals are
offered program placement but
do not end up enrolling in the 90
program for various reasons. The
September October November December
most frequent of these is that no
contact was able to be made. The Figure 2:Average monthly housing focused program enrollment
shelter makes at least three
attempts to contact an individual before moving on to the next person on the waitlist and holds the
enrollment spot for three business days, which can lead to beds being held empty. Names of
individuals the shelter is attempting to contact are shared with other service providers who might
February 20,2026 Report No. 2026-021
work with that person, including Pre-Entry
Community Services and the 30
Police Department in case they 25 26
encounter the individual.
20
Since the start of the Housing 17
Focused Program in September 15 13
and going through to Dec. 31, 40 ,0 10
e
individuals have been housed in
permanent or temporary housing. 5 3 2 3 2
With 129 exits during that same o 1 ,
period,this means the program has September October November December
■Housed Before Entry ■Could Not Make Contact ■Refused Program
a 31% housing rate. The Figure 4:Reasons for not entering the program
permanent housing rate is 21%
with 27 individuals out of 129 exiting to a permanent housing solution. The median successful exit
rate for housing programs in Texas in 2024 was 28.6% according to the Continuum of Care(CoC)
System Performance Measures since 2019(The Department of Housing and Urban Development),
Housing Exits while successful exits were at 6.8%
30 in the Balance of State Continuum
27
25 of Care which Denton is a part of.
The national average of successful
20 exits was 33.8%. Prior to the
shelter changing models, the audit
15 13 reported that out of 91 cases
10 9 reviewed the shelter had a housing
6 5 7 rate of 8% for individuals that
5
5 I
' 3 received overnight shelter in the
0 E E emergency shelter or transitional
September October November December Totals shelter programs.
■Permanent Housing ■Temporary Housing
Figure 3:Housing exit destinations
In response to recommendation 19,
a feedback box has been installed in the common area of the Community Shelter, and a QR code
for an online survey option in English and Spanish is available which is received directly by City
staff.
Updates to the Encampment Process
In accordance with Council direction, a process by which Community Services is the coordinating
department for encampment response, has been developed in partnership with the Police
Department,Parks and Recreation Department,the City's street outreach contractor, and other key
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
parties. This consolidates encampment reports to one point of contact, and response is determined
based on factors such as property ownership (rec. 5). The progress of encampment response for
each report is monitored and activities of appropriate parties in addressing the report are managed
in line with state and local laws (rec. 2). Encampment closure signs have been created in English
and Spanish (rec. 3) to be used on public property when an encampment is to be cleaned. Staff
created a guide for property owners about their rights and options if there is an encampment on
their property(rec. 5).
Community Services now utilizes a centralized database to track encampment reports and key
performance indicators of the City's encampment response (rec. 1). Active tracking began in
September. A quarterly report will be generated moving forward on key performance indicators,
including street outreach performance (rec. 9).
Closed Encampments By Month There were 43 confirmed encampment
Property Ownership *Government OPrivate *Public reports from September to December,
16 out of 129 total reports from all sources.
Roughly two thirds of encampments
3 reported do not meet the criteria for an
N encampment. Often, when staff
investigate a reported encampment,
CL
9 they determine it to be an individual
w $ loitering, an individual moving in a
6
public space with belongings, or simply
E trash and debris that has been
Z
improperly disposed of. An
encampment is defined as any place
where an individual is temporarily
September October November December residing with shelter,which can include
Month tents, tarpaulins, lean-tos, sleeping
Figure 5:Closed encampments bags, bedrolls, blankets, or any other
temporary or permanent shelter, other
than clothing or any handheld device, designed to protect a person from weather conditions that
threaten personal health and safety (Texas Penal Code, Title 10, 48.05). These temporary
structures and enclosed places are not intended for long-term occupancy(HUD, 2018).
February 20,2026 Report No. 2026-021
The City monitors the lifespan of an Closed Encampments By Month
encampment from when it is reported Month •September •October November •December
to when it is completely cleared (no U PARK ATTv up"
NORTNPMTI
longer individuals present and any
remaining trash and debris has been
removed For closed encampments Ca
)• p w Im;�l,co-
since September,eight were closed in Ago
September, 16 were closed in W% a
October, 13 were closed in �O
YAO l
November, and nine were closed in
December. The division of property O •
ownership was 13 encampments on fOUTMRIOGE
public properly (property owned by "
the City), 30 on private property ,W, O
(property owned by private Figure 6:Map of closed encampments
individuals), and three that were on
other government property (property owned by government entities other than the City, TxDOT,
Corps of Engineers, DCTA, etc.). The time goal for encampment closure is 10 Days to Close
(DTC), which counts the calendar days from the date of the report. Across all encampments, we
see a median DTC of 13, with an average of 16. Because the constraints on encampment cleanup
change depending on the property type, the time to close varies, as shown below:
Ownership Avera
Public 13 8 14
Private 30 16 17
GoLnt 3 15 1 13
Figure 7:Days to Close by property ownership
Staff continue to iterate and improve the encampment process and will evaluate, and update goals
related to encampment DTC as we gain further experience with this more managed process.
In December, staff applied to the Balance of State CoC for Street Outreach funding(rec. 14)under
the cancelled Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) by the Department of Housing and Urban
Development (HUD), for an expanded and internalized team of street outreach workers. Staff
intends to re-apply if the NOFO is re-released and will continue to explore other funding options
for an expanded street outreach team internally. Information about the NOFO and how it may
potentially impact the overall system can be found in the Dec. 2 Federal Homelessness Funding
ISR.
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
Public Safety Impacts
Over the past year, staff have been monitoring the impacts of homelessness and the Denton
Community Shelter on public safety resources. This impact is most succinctly measured in calls
for service to the shelter and at other locations in the community. Although both the Police and
Fire Departments respond to calls related to people experiencing homelessness, they're often
originate differently. Police are most often reacting to a call from a third party to intervene with
someone experiencing homelessness, whereas Fire is responding to a call on behalf of someone
experiencing homelessness. E.g. a welfare check on an individual called in by a passing motorist
for Police; a healthcare emergency call from a person experiencing homelessness for Fire.
When looking at public safety calls specifically at the Denton Community Shelter, demand was
reduced following the changes to the shelter model. From Jan. 1, 2025 until Aug. 31, the Police
Department was at the Denton Community Shelter for any reason an average of 2.2 times per day.
That same measure was 1.0 calls per day on average from Sep. 1 through Dec. 31, representing a
decrease of 55%. When considering the Fire Department and EMS calls for service to the shelter,
there was an average of 1.4 calls per day from Jan. 1,2025 until Aug. 31;between Sep. 1 and Dec.
31 there was an average of 0.8 calls per day, representing a decline of 43% after implementation
of the new shelter model. When looking at data across the entire community, Police calls for
service from the public related to homelessness have stayed steady from January 2025 through the
end of the year. Police calls for service related to homelessness are separated into two types,
officer-initiated calls (proactive work of the police department) and other calls for service (calls
that are initiated from outside the police department through the public via the non-emergency line
or 911). While officer-initiated calls hovered around the same level from January 2025 to July,
they have gone up since August. This is partially explained by the increase in encampment
coordination on private property during the same period (both encampment activity and officer-
initiated calls peaked in October in a similar distribution) and increased proactive patrol
engagement across the community.
According to data from the Fire Department, calls related to homelessness have fallen since the
changes to the shelter. Prior to the change in 2025, Firefighters responded to an average of about
188 calls related to homelessness each month, compared to about 160 per month after the change.
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
Police Department Calls Related to Homelessness
Officer initiated 0'._ •`=-
162
123
109
m
U
0
m
E
z
z
50 97 9S 96 100
90 5-
0
January February March April May June July August September October November December
Figure 9:Police Department homelessness calls Month
Fire Department Calls Related to Homelessness:2025
*Denton Community Shelter 0All Other Locations
237 —
208 G
200 199
186
179 180
167 168
154
150
35
U
121
E
Z
1�
50
0
January February —d May June Jut, August September October November December
Figure 8:Fire Department homelessness calls lonth
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
Housing Crisis Response System
United Way of Denton County (UWDC), which provides backbone support to the Housing Crisis
Response System(HCRS)in Denton County,monitors several system performance measures. The
table below shows data for September through December based on individuals who have been
assessed by a homeless services agency and are engaged in services within the last 90 days. It is
important to note that individuals who are not engaged in the HCRS do not show up in these
numbers.
System Performance Measure 25-Sep 25-Oct 25-Nov 2
Average length of days homeless 254 269 288 280
First time experiencing homelessness 16 19 22 7
Number of households experiencing homelessness 433 436 452 381
Returns to homelessness from housing 4 2 2 4
New as 51 53 39 31
-J:Housing Crisis Response System performance measures
December had a drop in the number of households experiencing homelessness, and in new
assessments (inflow into the system). When looking at the past few years, there was a monthly
average of households experiencing homelessness of 449 in 2023, 552 in 2024, and 491 in 2025.
When looking at this past year alone, the average number of households among the months prior
to the shelter transition in 2025 was 524. After the transition it was 409.
Actively Homeless by Month
650
600
550
500
450
400
350
300
250
200
m fn m m rn m m m m en m m a a a v v v v v a v a Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln Ln
N N N N N N N N N N N PJ N N N N N PV N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N N
m w f0 a M 3 ? D v " o w y m a m 3 ? v o v m y m a m ? 3 a " o a
LL g a g a o z o LL g a g a 0 z o - g a g a V 0 z o
Figure 11:Number of households assessed as experiencing homelessness
February 20,2026 Report No. 2026-021
Additionally, the Denton County Homeless Coalition, a former workgroup of the HHLT, has
received their 501(c)(3) designation as The Path Home, as the organization continues to grow in
its mission and a key step in making it an option for Denton County to become its own CoC,which
will provide an opportunity for more focused planning and tailored administration of federal
homeless dollars.
Upcoming Workplan Items
The City will continue to implement audit recommendations and Council direction over the next
quarter.
The amendments to the Management Services Operating Agreement (MSOA) with the shelter
contractor to align with the new program model is expected to go before Council by the end of
May, as ODB and the City finalize MSOA negotiations. Staff will continue to coordinate and
provide technical assistance around improved outcome tracking, client documentation, and data
entry in HMIS by ODB (rec. 17). Currently, City staff maintains bi-weekly meetings with shelter
management and staff to discuss program performance and shelter operations. In addition to the
above, staff will work with ODB to create written procedures for disciplinary guest suspension
and expulsion(rec. 18)by the end of August.
A focus over the next quarter is improving communication and coordination with community
members (rec. 11), grassroots organizations, individuals with lived experience of homelessness,
businesses, and residents. Efforts are currently underway to document existing processes and
communicate a coordinated procedure to notify and support unsheltered individuals during
inclement weather events (rec. 10), including utilizing the City's text messaging service, options
for street outreach, and coordination with stakeholders. Staff aim to continue improving the
encampment response process,provide regular encampment reporting and process evaluation, and
work with the street outreach contractor on funding (rec. 14) and case management performance
indicators (rec. 9, 13).
Process improvements are still needed for data integration and reporting between the different
service providers and departments.Although coordination is occurring regularly,the data pipelines
that support comprehensive data coordination are still under development.
On Jan. 22, The Path Home conducted the annual Point In Time (PIT) Count, a census of persons
experiencing homelessness, for Denton County. Staff participated in the planning and execution
of the Count and expect the results for 2026 later this Spring. The 2025 PIT Count showed 690
households experiencing homelessness in Denton County,with 607 (88%) of them located within
the City of Denton.
February 20, 2026 Report No. 2026-021
CONCLUSION:
Staff efforts have focused on addressing opportunities and audit recommendations through
implementing Council direction,with transitioning the Community Shelter to the Housing Focused
Program and strengthening encampment response and street outreach at the forefront. These
changes represent steps towards a more coordinated and outcomes-driven homelessness response
system. The addition of the Homeless Programs Manager has enhanced the City's capacity to
monitor shelter operations, manage encampment processes, and support system-level
coordination. While early data shows improvements in housing outcomes, reduced public safety
calls to the shelter, and more structured encampment management, continued work is needed to
refine processes, improve data quality, expand outreach capacity, and improve outcomes for those
experiencing homelessness in our community. The next quarter will prioritize finalizing the
Management Services Operating Agreement, advancing communication and engagement
strategies, and addressing gaps in data integration across stakeholders.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Shelter Stay Policy
2. Property Owner Guide
3. Audit of Homelessness Response
4. November 2024 Council Presentation
5. April 2025 Council Presentation
STAFF CONTACT:
Jesse Kent
Director of Community Services
Jesse.Kent@cityofdenton.com
REQUESTOR: Staff Initiated
STAFF TIME TO COMPLETE REPORT: 25 hours
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: Community Services, Fire, Police, City Attorney's
Office, and City Manager's Office
' OUR
Ir DAILY BREAD
Together with Monsignor King Outreach Center
NOURISHCONNECT
Shelter Stay Policy
Purpose
The purpose of the Housing-Focused Program is to provide our guests experiencing
homelessness with temporary shelter and support. This program is designed to be a short-term
resource that helps guests take steps toward finding and keeping permanent housing.
Guests are expected to actively participate in housing-focused activities while staying at the
shelter. The length of stay is based on progress toward housing goals and should not last longer
than necessary to secure permanent housing or enter a program that supports long-term
stability.
Shelter Entry Eligibility
• Guests must be physically self-sufficient to stay in shelter. This includes being able to get
on and off bunks unassisted and independently manage personal hygiene, eating,
bathing, dressing, and using the restroom.
• Guests must be 18 years of age or older upon entry.
• Guests must agree to engage in housing-focused activities as outlined in their
individualized Housing Stability Plan.
• Guests must be experiencing literal homelessness according to the HUD definition upon
entry.
Shelter Application &Waitlist
• Applicants are admitted based on availability.
• Prospective guests will complete a Shelter Application in-person at Our Daily Bread.
• Admission to shelter and case management services is based on bed availability. Guests
may be placed on a waitlist if beds are unavailable.
• Day shelter services are available to all guests regardless of program admission. All
guests may enroll in day shelter services regardless of program availability.
• When space becomes available, a guest has three business days to claim their bed
before it is offered to the next person on the list. Guests who are passed over retain
their position on the waitlist until they have gone 30 days without verified service
engagement.
• Individuals will be admitted on a first-come, first-served basis as beds are available, as
long as they are still willing to engage in taking steps towards housing.
To remain on the shelter waitlist, individuals must:
1. Remain engaged in services with an authorized service provider at least once every 30
days. Authorized service providers include nonprofit organizations within Denton County
that participate in the Texas Homeless Network's Balance of State Homeless
Management Information System (HMIS). Examples include but are not limited to
Salvation Army Denton, Interfaith Ministries and Giving Grace Street Outreach.
Engagement must be verifiable through HMIS.
2. Be reachable by phone, email or in person to receive notifications of bed availability.
Stay Period
• Guests are eligible for an initial stay of up to 14 days upon entry. Within seven days, they
must complete a Diversion assessment and collaborate with case management to
develop an individualized Housing Stability Plan.
• Throughout the stay, guests must demonstrate progress on their Housing Stability Plan
and actively pursue permanent housing solutions.
• Case management supports may include referrals to partner agencies, employment
resources, and housing opportunities.
• Case managers will track progress weekly and provide tailored support to help guests
overcome barriers.
• Continued stays are permitted if guests demonstrate measurable progress on their
Housing Stability Plan.
• Guests are expected to complete 20 hours per week of volunteer service at the shelter.
Adjustments may be made based on employment or participation in work programs.
• Guests who do not complete Housing Stability Plan action items due to inaction for two
weeks in a row, or three or more weeks total during their stay, may be subject to
involuntary exit.
Guest Orientation — Leave Policy:
• A guest who is away from shelter for one day may be considered as no longer needing
shelter services.
• Any leave from the shelter must be requested in advance and approved by your Case
Manager.
• Absences of more than two nights without prior approval will result in forfeiture of your
assigned room.
• Leave requests must be submitted at least two days in advance, and approval is not
guaranteed.
Involuntary Shelter Exit
• Guests meet weekly with Case Managers to review progress. Documentation is
recorded in writing and in HMIS. A copy of Housing Stability Plan progress will be shared
with guests.
• Guests failing to meet Housing Stability Plan progress requirements two consecutive
weeks, or three weeks total, may be referred for involuntary exit.
• The Guest Exit Committee will review each case. This Committee includes Our Daily
Bread's Chief Operating Officer, the City of Denton Stability Caseworker, a City of Denton
Crisis Intervention Clinician, and the guest's Case Manager. Other individuals may be
designated by the Our Daily Bread Executive Director or the City of Denton's Homeless
Programs Manager, respectively.
• The Committee reviews documentation and determines whether continued stay is
appropriate using the Shelter Exit Assessment Tool (S.E.A.T.).
• If exit is required, the guest will receive written notice and the opportunity to appeal to
Our Daily Bread's Administrative Review Committee, which includes the Executive
Director and designated Our Daily Bread Board of Directors. members. Guests will have
three days to make alternative arrangements before exiting.
• If continued stay is approved, the guest will receive written notice with updated
expectations and a remediation plan.
• All decisions will be documented in HMIS, and the Case Manager will provide a written
summary to the guest.
• The Shelter Advisory Board will meet quarterly to review aggregate data, including
waitlist management, progression of stays, housing outcomes, involuntary exits, appeals,
disparities, and feedback from guests and staff.
Inclement Weather Exceptions
• Length of Stay Policy requirements may be suspended during activation of Inclement
Weather operations. During these periods, the shelter's focus is immediate safety and
protection from extreme conditions.
• Guests seeking shelter during inclement weather will be accommodated based on
Inclement Weather policy, subject to available space and safety protocols.
• Once Inclement Weather operations end, shelter admission will return to standard
eligibility and capacity guidelines.
4corF Community Services Department
DENTON 601 E. Hickory St., Denton, TX 76201 • (940) 349-7753
Property Owner Guide for Homeless Encampments
The City of Denton is committed to maintaining the safety,health,and wellbeing of all community
members. This guide was developed to inform property owners of their rights and
responsibilities when people are camping on their property without permission or if the city
provides notice about an encampment.
What should I do immediately?
• If you feel unsafe, DO NOT engage directly with the people on your property. If you
have any concerns for your immediate safety, please call 911.
• You can report the encampment through 311 by calling, through the app, or going online.
• If you can, take pictures from a safe distance. This helps the City coordinate an
appropriate response and locate the reported encampment. Include these pictures when
you report it to 311 through the app or online.
What is an encampment?
An encampment is any place where an individual is temporarily residing in shelter,which can
include tents, tarpaulins, lean-tos, sleeping bags, bedrolls,blankets, or any other temporary or
permanent shelter, other than clothing or any handheld device, designed to protect a person from
weather conditions that threaten personal health and safety(Texas Penal Code, Title 10, 48.05).
These temporary structures and enclosed places are not intended for long-term occupancy
(HUD, 2018).
What can I do about an encampment on my properly?
• Connection to Homeless Services: The City works with a nonprofit that provides Street
Outreach assistance. They can talk to the people on your property and try to connect them
with help and services if you allow. This will follow the same process the City uses for
encampments on public property.
• Criminal Trespassing:
o Trespassing is if someone enters your property without permission and were told
not to enter or were told to leave but didn't. People must be given notice that they
are trespassing, which can be by:
OUR CORE VALUES
Inclusion • Collaboration•Quality Service • Strategic Focus • Fiscal Responsibility
■ Telling them directly(in person or in writing)
■ Putting up fences or signs
■ Using purple paint marks on trees or posts (specific rules apply)
o Consult Texas Penal Code § 30.05. Criminal Trespass for more information.
• Enforcement Authorization: You are able to sign an Enforcement Authorization (EA)
with the police department which authorizes police to act without you present, and
provide the warning that individuals have to leave in your stead. The City will provide
you with this form upon request.
o The police department cannot take proactive action without your written
permission in the form of an EA. You may revoke this permission at any time.
o If there is a public health or safety concern the City may need to take enforcement
action of its own accord per City ordinance.
• Please be aware that:
o The City cannot clean your property for you.
o The City does not patrol private property.
o Camping is not a permitted land use within the City of Denton.
What are my responsibilities as a property owner?
You are responsible for maintaining your property according to the Denton Property
Maintenance Code Chapter 17.
• Specific sections of the code which may apply include but are not limited to:
o Sec. 17-40. - Grass or weeds
o Sec. 17-50. - Trash and debris declared a nuisance and prohibited.
o Sec. 17-60. - Outside storage.
o Sec. 17-80. - Maintenance of perimeter fences.
o Sec. 17-153. - Exterior structure.
o Sec. 17-180. - Securing vacant structures.
Maintenance and Cleanup is your responsibility as a Property Owner.
How can I prevent encampments in the future?
In order to prevent repeat encampments, there are some precautions you can take:
• Routinely have yourself or someone who has your permission check on the property to
identify unpermitted access at an early stage.
• Mow tall grass and keep the area clean and free of trash or brush that could serve as
cover.
• Secure uninhabited structures and vacant buildings as required.
• Place security fences around the property, check for permit requirements.
• Post clear no trespassing signage.
2
For questions,please contact the Homeless Programs Manager at(940) 230-5337.
3
4CFIY Office of the City Auditor
or461
DENTON Accountability • Transparency • Integrity • Quality
Some laws implemented for public
health and safety purposes impact
people experiencing homelessness.
Encampment response processes are
..7, reactive, not coordinated, and not
y well documented. While some
individuals are connected to mental
r health services, the City's mobile crisis
'S
response function has not been
efficient or well-defined.
Street outreach activities are not
coordinated. While the Street
! , Outreach Contractor generally meets
housing outcome goals, the Homeless
Outreach Team does not effectively
connect people experiencing
homelessness with housing solutions
Audit of Homelessness due to a lack of dedicated resources.
Response The Community Shelter Contractor
p has generally not adopted housing-
first practices as required by contract
and has created a punitive
punishment system that likely bars
more people than necessary from
assistance.
Audit Team
City Auditor
Madison Rorschach, CIA, CGAP
Audit Staff
Amber Jackson, MBA, CFE
Rhys Vanatta
215 E. McKinney St., Denton, TX 76201 • (940) 349-7228
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Table of Contents
Auditat a Glance .........................................................................................................3
Detailed Findings & Analysis........................................................................................4
Some Laws Impact People Experiencing Homelessness; Encampment
Response Should be Further Coordinated for Efficiency ....................................... 6
The City's Mobile Crisis Response Team does not Clearly Divert People
Experiencing Mental Health Crises to Licensed Clinical Staff.............................. 14
Street Outreach Activities are not Coordinated and Resource Allocation may
not Promote Housing Stability Most Effectively ..................................................... 19
The Community Shelter Contractor's Practices Do Not Align with Housing-First or
Low-Barrier Approaches as Required by Contract ..............................................24
Audit Project Background..........................................................................................35
AuditingStandards...................................................................................................35
Management Responsibility.................................................................................... 35
Objectives, Scope, and Methodology .................................................................. 35
Appendix A: Management Response Summary.....................................................37
Audit Project #: 042 Page 12
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Audit at a Glance
Why we did this Audit: What we Found:
The City currently funds street As housing instability has increased, communities
outreach activities and an have begun assisting people experiencing
emergency shelter to assist people homelessness by supporting them, financially and
experiencing homelessness. Still, logistically, to access more stable housing. This audit
nearly nine out of ten residents generally evaluated the effectiveness of
viewed homelessness in Denton as homelessness assistance programs and enforcement
a major or moderate problem activity compliance with relevant laws and alignment
facing the community in 2024. This with Federal guidance. Our findings are summarized
audit project was included on the below:
City's fiscal year 2024-25 Audit Plan Enforcement, Encampments, and Mental Health
as approved by the City Council. Response. Some state and local laws impact people
experiencing homelessness. Still, the City provides
What we Recommend: resources for individuals experiencing homelessness
Recommendations 1, 2, 5, & 10 who have been cited and arrested.
Increase coordination between Encampment response processes are reactive, not
street outreach providers and coordinated, and not well documented. No
centralize encampment decision guidelines exist for private property encampments.
making.
The City has created a mobile crisis response
Recommendations 3, 4, 11 , & 14 function; however, its purpose, procedures, and goals
Consider providing additional were not well defined. Still, some individuals are
support to assist people connected to mental health services.
experiencing homelessness.
Street Outreach Activities. Historically, City-funded
Recommendations 9, 13, 17 street outreach efforts have not been coordinated.
Improve data on street outreach The Street Outreach Contractor is generally meeting
and emergency shelter outcomes. housing outcome goals. The Homeless Outreach
Team does not connect people experiencing
Recommendations 6, 7, 8, 12 homelessness with housing solutions because police
Explore options to more effectively officers lack dedicated resources and are not well-
allocate street outreach and crisis positioned to perform street outreach.
response team resources. Community Shelter Operations. The City's Community
Shelter contract aligns with best practices; however,
Recommendations 15, 16, 18, & 19 the Community Shelter Contractor has generally not
Align Community Shelter operations adopted housing-first practices. While some low-
with housing-first and low-barrier barrier practices are adopted, rules are extensive
best practices per contract. and not always clear. The punishment system is
punitive and likely bars more people than necessary
from access. The City has not historically requested
feedback from Community Shelter guests.
Audit report translations may be requested by emailing InternalAudit@CityofDenton.com.
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Detailed Findings & Analysis
According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, safe, stable, and
affordable housing promotes the long-term well-being and quality of life of a
community's residents and helps to reduce demand for emergency intervention
services, decreasing costs long-term. In general, there is a spectrum of housing
stability with people experiencing homelessness experiencing the most instability
as illustrated in Figure 1 .
Figure 1: Simplified Housing Stability Spectrum & Assistance Services
Street
Outreach
❑ ❑ Qn- n-
,Z
46 oil
Unhoused Emergency Supportive Affordable Market
Housing Housing Housing Housing
Housing
Case Mgmt. k4��t_
People experiencing homelessness often live in places not meant for habitation
such as vehicles, abandoned buildings, or other outside locations. These
individuals experience increased health and safety risks that impact the
community's quality of life. To address this impact, communities have begun
assisting people experiencing homelessness by supporting them, financially and
logistically, to access these more stable housing solutions.
In addition, many people experiencing homelessness report having a chronic
health condition, mental illness, physical disability, or substance use disorder,
which are often exacerbated by housing instability. These health issues, as well
as living in public spaces, increase the likelihood that people experiencing
homelessness will be engaged by law enforcement officers.
While housing instability has always been an issue in communities, economic
factors exacerbated during the early years of the COVID-19 Pandemic have
substantially increased the number of people experiencing homelessness from
about 235 people county-wide in 2018-2020 to about 465 in 2022-2024—almost a
Audit Project #: 042 Page 14
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
100 percent growth. For comparison, the average county population increased
by about 14 percent or those periods. During that same period, the number of
people experiencing homelessness in the United States increased by almost 20
percent.
In 2024, United Way of Denton County reported there were 424 people
experiencing homelessness in the City of Denton based on the Point-in-Time
Count, an annual survey of people experiencing homelessness that occurs in
January. The City of Denton's 2024 Community Survey found that "nearly nine
out of ten residents view homelessness in Denton as a major or moderate
problem facing the community." In addition, over half of these survey
respondents deemed providing shelter during harsh weather and funding
mental health programs for people experiencing homelessness essential. This
survey information is summarized in Image 1 below.
Image 1: 2024 Resident Priorities for Homelessness Response Program Funding
important21. How
organizations that provide each of the following services to the homeless population and others
Very Somewhat Not at all
Essential Important Important Important
Job training programs 33% 41% 19% 7%
Mental health programs 50% 32% 15% 4%
Substance abuse programs 47% 35% 13% 5%
Shelter during severe weather, including temperature extremes 54% 29% 13% 4%
Housing and rental assistance programs 34% 31% 26% 10%
Supportive housing,which combines housing with services such 38% 36% 18% 7%
as job training and substance abuse treatment
In Denton County, access to supportive housing and affordable housing is tied
to the housing priority list. To be placed on the housing priority list, a person must
complete a coordinated entry assessment with a trained assistance provider
that has access to the Homeless Management Information System. This
assessment determines what available programs a person is eligible for and
prioritizes them based on a vulnerability score. Households who do not have
contact with an assistance provider for 90 days or receive some type of
housing—even if it is in a treatment or detention facility—are considered
inactive and essentially moved to the bottom of the housing priority list. This
housing prioritization and placement process was not evaluated as part of the
audit but is essential to understanding how people exit homelessness.
This audit generally evaluated the effectiveness of homelessness assistance
programs and enforcement activity compliance with relevant laws and
alignment with Federal guidance.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 15
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Some Laws Impact People Experiencing Homelessness;
Encampment Response Should be Further Coordinated for Efficiency
Based on the 2024 Denton County Point-in-Time Count, about 45 percent of
people experiencing homelessness live unsheltered meaning they reside in a
place not meant for habitation. These individuals often congregate in outdoor
encampments for community and an increased sense of security. These
encampments often include items designed to protect a person from weather
conditions such as tents, sleeping bags, or bedrolls, as well as other personal
belongings.
However, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness suggests encampments
may be in places that are not safe, such as in medians or near highways, or in
spaces that have been identified as hazardous waste sites. For these reasons,
that organization recommends a community use the following principles when
addressing encampments:
Figure 2: Principles of Encampment Response
1. Establish a Cross-Agency, Multi-Sector Response to Encampments
•Use a"command center'approach to coordinate encampment planning and response.
•While law enforcement may need to be involved, they should not drive the process.
2. Engage Encampment Residents to Develop Solutions
•Provide ample, visible public notice when an encampment is going to be closed.
•Only close encampments after outreach teams have had time to engage with residents to
find alternateive shelter, housing, and service options.
3. Conduct Comprehensive and Coordinated Outreach
•Addressed in other sections;see page 18.
4. Address Basic Needs and Provide Storage
•Take care to avoid destroying personal belongings when closing encampments and provide
storage for an adequate period to allow people the opportunity to collect their belongings.
5. Ensure Access to Shelter or Housing Options
•Do not close an encampment unless there is access to low-barrier shelter or housing.
6 Develop Pathways to Permanent Housing
•Addressed in other sections;see page 23.
7. Create a Plan for What Will Happen to Encampment Sites After Closure
•Secure locations with previous encampments that are not safe to ensure encampments
don't return.
In 2021 , the State of Texas passed a law banning camping in a public place
without the consent of the agency charged with managing that location. An
agency's consent to camping for the purpose of housing people experiencing
Audit Project #: 042 Page 16
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
homelessness is ineffective unless it is given pursuant to a plan approved by the
Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.
In addition, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has
recognized that some municipalities have implemented laws for public health
and safety reasons that may impact people experiencing homelessness.'
Specifically, the National Homelessness Law Center, an organization recognized
by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development as a resource on
this issue, has identified seven behaviors common for unhoused individuals that
may be locally banned:
➢ Camping in public ➢ Sitting and lying down in public ➢ Panhandling, or begging
➢ Sleeping in public ➢ Loitering, loafing, or vagrancy ➢ Living in vehicles
➢ Sharing food
What We Found
• The City of Denton has generally not enacted local laws that may impact
people experiencing homelessness but does enforce State laws that ban
camping in public places and soliciting in roadways.
o The City has not adopted laws that ban sleeping in public; sitting or
lying down in public; loitering, loafing, or vagrancy; or sharing food.
Three local laws have been adopted banning at least one of the
seven common unhoused behaviors as outlined in Table 1 .
Table 1: Local Laws that May Impact People Experiencing Homelessness2
Code of Ordinances Description
Sec. 22-31 Camping in a public park unpermitted
Sec. 25-5 Using a thoroughfare (i.e., street, shoulder, or
median) for soliciting without a permit.
Sec. 17-101 Using a vehicle for living or sleeping
Texas Penal Code § 48.05 interacts with the City's local law against
camping in a public park but these laws do not conflict. The City's
local law against solicitation in thoroughfares appears to be a more
expansive version of Texas Transportation Code § 552.007, which bans
solicitation in just roadways. These laws are intended to prevent public
health and safety issues such as attracting wildlife and creating
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development's statements on this issue can be
reviewed here: https://www.hudexchange.info/homelessness-assistance/alternatives-to-
criminalizina-homelessness/
2 Sec. 21-6 of the Code of Ordinances bans aggressive solicitation; however, based on a
comparison of this law with The National Homelessness Law Center's description of laws
prohibiting panhandling, this law does appear to be aimed at aggressive behaviors.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 17
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
hazardous waste, as well as decreasing the risk of motor vehicle
accidents.
o Most of the City's enforcement actions for these laws have been
based on State law as shown in Table 2. These types of citations make
up about one percent of all citations transmitted to the Denton
Municipal Court.
Table 2: Summary of Enforcement Actions per Laws that May Impact People
Experiencing Homelessness
Law FY23 Violations FY24 Violation Issued to People at
Transient Addresses
Penal Code § 48.05: Camping 151 102 82%
in Public Places
Sec. 22-31: Camping in Parks 8 4 83%
Transportation Code § 552.007: 29 9 76%
Soliciting in Roadways
Sec. 25-5: Soliciting in 62 12 68%
Thoroughfares
Sec. 17-101: Living in Vehicles 0 0 NA
o These 377 citations were issued to 228 unique individuals; 72 percent of
these individuals were experiencing homelessness based on the
address information recorded on their citation. Further, about 30
percent of these individuals were cited more than once for one of
these laws during Fiscal Years 2023 and 2024.
o Most of these citations are resolved through time served as outlined in
Table 3. Only about three percent of the $137,062 in fines assessed for
these citations was collected.
Table 3: FY23 and FY24 Case Resolutions for Enforcement Actions per Laws that
May Impact People Experiencing Homelessness
Resolution Violations Payments
Fine Paid 17 $4,358
Closed 227 $0
Dismissed by Prosecutor 21 $0
Dismissed after Deferral 7 $510
All Resolved: 272 $4,868
o It should be noted that people experiencing homelessness may be
charged with per State Penal Code with criminal trespass if they are on
private or public property. Criminal trespass is a Class B misdemeanor
meaning charges are resolved in county court instead of the Municipal
Court. Criminal trespass calls for response made up about three
percent of the Police Department's 116,726 calls for response during
Fiscal Year 2024 and 387 of these calls resulted in an arrest.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 18
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
• The City provides resources for individuals experiencing homelessness who
have been cited and arrested.
o Based on discussion with City jail staff, as part of the booking process
individuals are asked questions to determine if they are experiencing
homelessness. If a person is experiencing homelessness, jail staff may
contact a clinician employed by the City to discuss resources and
options with the individual. In addition, staff may offer to launder an
individual's clothing or provide new clothing if needed.
o Staff indicated that there is signage visible to individuals in jail cells that
provide phone numbers and information about substance use and
potential employment options.
o In addition, the Municipal Judge has worked with the Community
Shelter Contractor to create a legal advocacy program whereby
people experiencing homelessness can complete steps towards
obtaining more stable housing to defer the disposition of low-level
citations. As of January 2025, 18 people have completed this program
and 1 1 people are in the process of completing the program.
• Historically, the encampment response process has been triggered by
resident reports regarding these seven behaviors common for people
experiencing homelessness.
o Specifically, 73 percent of resident reports that were tracked as part of
the encampment response process were based on one of the seven
behaviors common for people experiencing homelessness as outlined
in Table 4.
Table 4: Resident Encampment Reports by Behavior
Behavior Reports Percent
Camping in Public 123 33%
Loitering, Loafing, Vagrancy 70 19%
Sleeping in Public 46 12%
Living in Vehicles 17 5%
Sitting or lying Down 10 3%
Solicitation 5 1%
Sharing Food 0 0%
Other3 101 27%
3 This category includes reports that did not have a clear description (ten percent), reports of
trash and debris (13 percent), and other behaviors such as staying in a vacant building (five
percent).
Audit Project #: 042 Page 9
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
• Current encampment response processes are driven by Homeless Outreach
Team officers and are reactive instead of using a strategic, "command
center" approach.
o The City has established written guidelines for responding to
encampments on public property as illustrated in Figure 3. Under the
Guidelines an "encampment" is a place where people are living
unsheltered and is "active" if there are "items and/or persons present."
Figure 3: City Property Encampment Response Process
•Encampment identified by City staff or the public.
•Homeless Outreach Team visits site to determine activity&offer services or referrals.
•Community Services coordinates an assessment team and produces a Site Assessment
Report.
•Street Outreach staff monitor site for public health and safety concerns.
•Street Outreach Contractor completes intake assessments,Coordinated Entries,and
referrals to shelter or housing.
• -• •Site is monitored until it is determined clean-up is needed.
•Site Assessment Report recommending clean-up is approved by the City Manager.
•Written notice about clean-up is issued.
•Street Outreach teams are requested to visit during notice period.
• • •Clean-up occurs once notice period is complete.Enforcement may occur.
•Site assessment reports are regularly reviewed with law enforcement.
•No tresspassing signs are posted and sites that have been cleaned are monitored.
O Encampment assessments are primarily driven by officers on the
Homeless Outreach Team, which may not be an efficient use of
resources. Specifically, about 20 percent of Fiscal Year 2024 resident
reports that had follow-up notes indicated that neither an
encampment nor a person experiencing homelessness were located
after officers were dispatched.
O No formal Site Assessment Reports appear to have been created as
specified by the Guidelines. Instead, all relevant site data is collected
in the Encampment Tracking Spreadsheet which is primarily intended
to track resident reports. This spreadsheet does not generally include
information identified by the Guidelines as needed including site
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 10
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
conditions, outreach efforts, public safety data, public health data,
and resident concerns.
o Active and inactive large encampment locations and locations of
interest are not centrally tracked or formally monitored. Instead,
encampment efforts have historically been focused on responding to
resident reports using the Encampment Tracking Spreadsheet. Further,
this tracking method is not clearly effective as over half of received
resident requests did not have documented follow-up notes.
o While both City and contracted street outreach staff regularly visit
some large encampments and locations of interest, this information is
not clearly used to inform encampment and closure decisions. At least
44 resident encampment reports (about a quarter of those with
documented follow-up) were for known encampments or other
locations of interest.
• Written guidelines for responding to encampments located on private
property have not been established and practices may disincentivize
property owners from reporting encampments. The private property
encampment response process is generally outlined in Figure 4.
Figure 4: Private Property Encampment Response Process
Property
Community
•Monitoring — •Notifies encampmentServices
encampment& residents and clears
offering assistance •Requests encampment •Notifies Property
encampment be Owner of code
cleared violation due to
belgongings left by
encampment
Previously
■•Identified)
O Most active large encampments appear to be located on private
property; however, there is currently no process or guidelines on when
to notify a property owner or document and monitor private property
encampment site conditions.
o To clear an encampment on private property, a property owner must
request a response or provide an Enforcement Authorization if the
property owner is not present. Once this occurs law enforcement may
clear the encampment. The City is not required to provide notice to
encampment residents on private property and there are no
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 11
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
guidelines on providing notice or informing street outreach staff before
an encampment is cleared.
o Once a private property encampment is cleared, Code Enforcement
Division staff generally notify the property owner that they are violating
the City's Code of Ordinances due to personal belongings left on the
property by encampment residents. While staff reported that Code
Enforcement officers are flexible with property owners around
remediation timeliness, resources are generally not provided to the
property owner to assist with cleanup.
• Encampment clean-up decisions are not well documented and clean-up
practices increase the risk of people's belongings being destroyed.
o Encampment cleaning and closure decisions are not formally
documented or approved as specified by the Guidelines. The time
between any encampment being identified, closed, and cleaned is
not formally tracked by Community Services despite City staff
involvement in all processes.
o According to staff, the definition of an active or abandoned
encampment is unclear. This distinction is critical because abandoned
sites do not require notice before cleaning based on the Guidelines.
o Historically, encampment closure notices have only been posted in
English increasing the risk that individuals who do not read English do
not receive notice.
o The City does not currently provide storage options to individuals who
live in an encampment scheduled for cleaning. According to staff, any
items left at an encampment after the notice period expires is
considered trash and destroyed.
• Costs for cleaning large encampments on City property are tracked, but
similar information is not available for small encampments on City property or
any encampments on private property.
o The City has executed a contract for abatement services, which is
primarily used for mowing areas managed by the Parks and
Recreation Department. In addition, it is used for abating private
property code violations identified by Code Enforcement Officers and
large encampment cleanups on City property. Small encampments on
City property are generally cleaned by Parks & Recreation
Department staff as part of their regular job duties; however, there are
no written guidelines on determining when an encampment should be
cleaned by the contractor or City staff.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 12
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
o Just over $50,000 was spent during Fiscal Year 2024 to clean large City
property encampments, but costs to clean small encampments, are
not being clearly tracked.
Why It Matters
People experiencing homelessness are often the most vulnerable members of a
community due to financial insecurity and health issues. Some State and local
laws implemented to promote public health and safety disproportionately
impact people experiencing homelessness. Still, the City has created processes
and resources that help people experiencing homelessness who have been
cited and arrested connect with assistance, which may help reduce costs to the
community overall.
Encampments provide community to people experiencing homelessness and
support street outreach work by making it easier to regularly interact with clients
seeking support and assistance towards housing stability. Still, encampments
may be in unsafe locations or create hazardous conditions. For these reasons,
consistent and concise monitoring of encampments is critical to ensuring that
residents remain as protected as possible and decision makers are informed
about actual conditions.
While the City has created guidelines to guide responses to encampments on
City property, these are not clearly followed, hindering strategic decision
making. Although most encampments are located on private property, there
are no written procedures for responding to and consistently monitoring
encampments on private property. This creates uncertainty for encampment
residents, street outreach staff, and property owners. Having clear notice
guidelines, ample time for outreach work to occur, and respect for
encampment residents will help to ensure create a more efficient and effective
process.
Recommendations:
1. Centrally track all large encampment locations and regularly monitor
encampment sites to help inform closure and cleaning decisions.
Encampment monitoring should include information on active and closed
site locations, active site conditions including health and safety concerns,
and location-based engagement data (i.e., outreach contacts, public
safety calls, and resident reports). Data related to encampment
identification, closure, and cleaning timeliness and costs should be retained
for large encampments on City and private property to the extent possible.
Community Services Comments: Community Services staff will continue to
develop the encampment tracking tools to ensure engagement data and
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 13
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
data around costs and services are retained. Time will be required to fully
standardize practices across internal and external partners.
2. Update the Encampment Response Guidelines to align with current
practices. Consider aligning the definition of active encampments to the
definition of "shelter" in the Texas Penal Code to aid decision-making.
Community Services Comments: Staff will update the Encampment Response
Guidelines to align with current practices and any Council direction.
3. Provide notice of encampment closures, at least, in English and Spanish.
Community Services Comments: Community Services is actively working to
improve encampment closure processes, including providing notices in
English and in Spanish.
4. Explore options for providing temporary storage to people experiencing
homelessness. Storage may be offered if an encampment will be cleaned or
if individuals wish to access shelter services.
Community Services Comments: There are not currently resources available
to store items from encampment cleanup.
5. Develop a systematic process to assess and monitor encampments on
private property to minimize health and safety risks. This process should
balance the rights of property owners with the needs of people experiencing
homelessness. To the extent possible, private property encampments should
not be closed until notice is provided and outreach staff can connect with
encampment residents. Clear guidelines for assessing site conditions should
be established to determine when property owners should be notified about
encampments so health and safety issues can be addressed timely.
Community Services Comments: Community Services staff will seek to create
a process that mirrors our city property process, focused on technical
assistance and education for property owners and connecting the unhoused
with resources.
The City's Mobile Crisis Response Team does not Clearly Divert
People Experiencing Mental Health Crises to Licensed Clinical Staff
Based on the 2024 Denton County Point-in-Time count, at least a third of people
experiencing homelessness self-reported having a serious mental illness and 15
percent self-reported having a substance use disorder. These health issues
generally hinder a person experiencing homelessness's ability to access more
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 14
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
stable housing and increase their likelihood of experiencing negative
enforcement actions.
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration recommends
that a community establish a crisis care system that includes a mobile crisis team
to decrease the likelihood of these negative interactions.4 A mobile crisis team is
intended to provide community-based intervention to individuals in need
wherever they are. A mobile crisis team should respond without law
enforcement accompaniment unless special circumstances warrant inclusion to
support true justice system diversion and, at minimum, should:
➢ Include a licensed or credentialed clinician capable of assessing the
needs of individuals;
➢ Respond where the person is and not restrict services to select locations or
particular times or days; and
➢ Connect individuals to facility-based care as needed through warm
hand-offs and coordinating transportation when and only if situations
warrant transition to other locations.
Figure 5 outlines the ideal mobile crisis response process:
Figure 5: Mobile Crisis Response Process
•Determine level of risk faced
Tri
-Dispatch mobile response team,including first
age/Screening responders if necessary,based on risk
•Assess causes leading to crisis and person's
current status
Res•• -De-escalate and resolve crisis so higher level of
care is unnecessary
Peer • •• : -Connect individual with resources including
peers,family,and medical or behavioral health
Services services.
Coordination
-Engage individual in creating safety plan,follow-
Crisis
• • : up (typically by telephone)to determine if
Follow-Up referred services were provided timely.
4 Other elements of a crisis care system include: a regional crisis call center that offers real-time
access to a live person 24/7/365 and meets the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline operational
guidelines; and crisis receiving and stabilization facility that offer no-wrong-door access to
mental health and substance use cases.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 15
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
What We Found
• The City has created a mobile crisis response function; however, it's purpose,
procedures, and goals are not well defined.
o The City has created a Critical Incident Response Team, or CIRT, to
provide mobile crisis response services to Denton residents. Historically,
this team includes three licensed clinicians each paired with a police
officer historically. Policies and procedures to guide the City's mobile
crisis team program had not been developed and outcomes were not
regularly reported.
• Most mental health calls for response are not responded to by CIRT and all
reviewed calls for response include at least one law enforcement officer. Still,
some individuals are effectively connected to mental health services.
o Only about 16 percent of mental health calls for response were
completely diverted to CIRT and no calls for response were only
responded to by a clinician based on a review of a sample of calls for
service as shown in Table 5.
o Law enforcement officers are currently partially functioning as crisis call
center resources. In particular, about 16 percent of mental health calls
for response were resolved over the phone by regular law
enforcement officers.
o About 25 percent of mental health calls for response resulted in a
voluntary transport to a health service center and about eight percent
resulted in an enforcement action (i.e., emergency detention order,
trespass, or arrest).
Table 5: Summary of Mental Health Calls for Response by Service & Unit Types
Service Officers Officers CIRT Percent by
Only &CIRT Only Service:
Enforcement 2 1 2 8.2%
Transport 10 5 0 24.6%
In-Person Contact 14 1 6 34.4%
Virtual Contact 9 1 2 19.7%
Other 8 0 0 13.1%
Percent by Unit: 70.5% 13.1% 16.4%
5 Some patrol officers are CIRT-trained but are not in the CIRT unit. It is possible that these officers
responded to Mental Health calls for service more, however, this was not made clear during the
sample review.
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o Written guidelines for Public Safety Communications staff for assessing
mental health call risk level to determine what type of units should be
dispatched to a mental health call have not been developed.
According to Police Department staff, the City's dispatch system was
historically set up to automatically dispatch only patrol officers to
mental health calls for response because there were more calls than
could be handled by CIRT and CIRT only worked during regular
business hours.
o In December 2024, CIRT was combined with the Homeless Outreach
Team to allow for officers within this unit to respond to calls without
being accompanied by a clinician, increasing the unit's response
coverage. Under this new model, CIRT clinicians are being cross-
trained to provide housing assistance. In addition, clinicians are now
responsible for self-dispatching to calls that they believe require their
assistance if a vehicle is available. Guidance for clinicians on when to
self-dispatch has not yet been developed.
• Mental health follow-up practices are not well defined and historically may
have been an inefficient use of CIRT officer resources.
o According to Police Department staff, a "contact card" is created in
the Department's record management system after each mental
health call for response. CIRT clinicians are then tasked with following
up with these individuals to connect them with mental health
resources. However, a system for determining if a follow-up is needed,
what information should be gathered, and ensuring contacts are
followed up on had not been clearly developed.
o Based on a review of a sample of CIRT-initiated calls, CIRT is performing
follow-up both in-person and virtually; however, about a third of calls
do not result in contact and another third did not have enough
documentation to determine what occurred as outlined in Table 6.
Table 6: Summary of Mental Health Follow-Ups by Service & Unit Type
Service Officer & Officer Clinician Percent by
Clinician Only Only Service:
Food Box 2 0 0 6.5%
In Person Contact 2 0 0 6.5%
Virtual Contact 5 0 3 25.8%
Contact Attempt 5 0 4 29.0%
Unknown 4 5 1 32.3%
Percent by Unit: 58.1% 16.1% 25.8%
o Further, about 33 percent of follow-ups were not clearly conducted in
person, making it unclear why an officer was also needed on that call.
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Why It Matters
Mobile crisis response teams are intended to ensure that people actively
experiencing a mental health crisis are provided with appropriate support for
their emergency. While the City has established CIRT to help support these
individuals, historic dispatching processes and clinician availability hindered
CIRT's ability to always respond to those in crisis.
In addition, best practices suggest that law enforcement should only be
involved when people in crisis present as a danger to themselves or others to
ensure efficient use of finite law enforcement resources. However, historic
procedures ensured that all mental health calls were responded to by law
enforcement officers, even many crisis follow-up calls. These procedures were
not an efficient use of law enforcement resources. Changes to dispatching
practices and the combination of the Outreach Unit should help to address
some of this inefficiency. Still, clear guidance on call assessment and resource
dispatching for mental health calls should be developed to further reduce
inefficiency and ensure callers receive appropriate resources.
Recommendations:
6. Create a process to allow for increased diversion of mental health calls that
minimizes the involvement of law enforcement officers to the extent possible.
Police Department Comments: See the next comment. Partnering with the
civilian clinical resources has the potential to involved law enforcement
involvement.
Community Services Comments: Community Services will partner with police
to make civilian mental health resources available and responsive to
dispatch calls.
7. Explore options for providing mental health resources to 9-1-1 callers with low-
risk levels without involving law enforcement officers.
Police Department Comments: PD Communications can explore diverting
calls directly to clinicians using the in-place protocols for low-threat
responses. See comments for number 8 below.
Community Services Comments: Community Services will partner with police
to make civilian mental health resources available and responsive to
dispatch calls.
8. Provide guidance to Public Safety Communications on assessing mental
health call risk levels to help divert calls from law enforcement when possible.
Best practices recommend using the Level of Care Utilization System, or
LOCUS, to triage mental health calls.
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Police Department Comments: PD Communications currently uses
International Association of Emergency Dispatch protocols to triage mental
health calls (psychiatric, suicidal, caller in crisis, etc.). Response is based on
the scenario presented. LOCUS is a clinician's tool designed to assess the
intensity of services needed for individuals receiving treatment, not a rapid
assessment tool.
Street Outreach Activities are not Coordinated and Resource
Allocation may not Promote Housing Stability Most Effectively
Street outreach is a process by which people living in unsheltered locations are
engaged where they are to ensure their basic needs are met while supporting
them towards housing stability. The goal of street outreach is to make
connections to stable housing with tailored services and supports for each
person. To do this, U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness generally
recommends that a community's street outreach efforts be: Housing-First,
Person-Centered, and Coordinated.
Figure 6: Street Outreach Best Practices
•An individual should not be required to enter ■
emergency shelter as an"interim step"to access stable
housing.
-The coordinated entry process should be used to
prioritize individuals for housing.
-The individual should make decisions about what
Person- resources are needed or wanted.
*Critical,life-saving resources should be offered to
Centeredreduce harm and establish rapport.
•Providers should collaborate to ensure comprehensive
coverage and identification.
Coordinated .
A coordinated,centralized data system should be used,
like HMIS,to document contacts and housing
placements.
Data on the following outcomes should be measured and reviewed to assess
the effectiveness of street outreach programs:
➢ Exits to Permanent Housing;
➢ Length of Time from Unsheltered Homelessness to Housing;
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s Interim Services provided such as CE assessments, connections with
benefits, documentation completion, interactions with crisis housing, and
referrals to outside services.
What We Found
• Historically, City-funded street outreach efforts have not been coordinated to
ensure efficiency.
o The City of Denton has established two street outreach functions: (1) a
multi-disciplined Homeless Outreach Team, or HOT, consisting of two
police officers, a paramedic, and a licensed clinician generally
managed by the Police Department; and (2) one and a half
contracted street outreach workers employed by a non-profit
organization.
o While periodic meetings have occurred between HOT, the Street
Outreach Contractor, and the Community Services Department, it is
not clear that these meetings included case conferencing or other
data-sharing activities to ensure efficient use of resources.
For example, during a ride-a-long with the street outreach contractor,
street outreach staff stated that they have historically not been
informed before an encampment is cleared, requiring them to spend
time searching for active clients. Further, a centralized list of active
street outreach clients is not maintained, increasing the likelihood that
a client is receiving assistance from both functions.
o A written, coordinated plan to inform and offer assistance to people
experiencing unsheltered homelessness during inclement weather
events has not been established.
• Based on discussions with residents and observations during this audit, Denton
has an active community of individuals ready to assist people experiencing
homelessness; however, there is currently no coordinated effort from the City
to engage these individuals in official programs or assist with gap mitigation.
• HOT does not appear to effectively connect people experiencing
homelessness with housing solutions. This appears to be, at least in part,
because police officers are not well positioned to perform street outreach
due to a lack of appropriate resources and job duty conflicts.
o Police officers do not have access to coordinated entry or training on
identifying and applying for appropriate housing resources for people
experiencing homelessness. While HOT does include a licensed case
worker, it was not clear how often this individual performed
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coordinated entry assessments based on reviewed calls. Further, only
one percent of HOT-initiated calls resulted in documented emergency
shelter placement.
o Police response systems are generally not created to support on-going
case management of a person or household. Specifically, based on a
review of a sample of HOT-initiated calls, 83 percent did not have
documentation about what occurred, hindering understanding of
program activities and outcomes.
o The City has not dedicated financial resources for HOT to use in
assisting individuals experiencing homelessness. For example, during a
ride-a-long, HOT came across an individual experiencing homelessness
who wanted to drive back to Louisiana to stay with a family member
but did not have money for gas. HOT was unable to provide him with
financial assistance without contacting a non-profit service provider, in
this instance the City's street outreach contractor.
o Assigning street outreach duties to police officers creates conflict with
their law enforcement job duties because individuals experiencing
homelessness are often violating a law (e.g., trespassing, soliciting in a
thoroughfare, etc.) when they are encountered by police officers as
previously discussed. This impacts a police officer's ability to use person-
centered practices and increases the potential for adversarial
relationships and negative interactions.
• The Street Outreach Contractor is generally meeting their contracted
housing outcome goals; however, Federal funding to support these
outcomes is going away.
o The City's contract with the Street Outreach Contractor requires them
to meet certain outcomes. Based on a review of Fiscal Year 2024 data,
the goals related to housing exits appear to be met as shown in Table
7. These outcomes along with ride-a-long observations generally
indicate that the Street Outreach Contractor uses housing-first
approaches. Still, the contract does not clearly include tracking or
reporting on length of time between service.
Table 7: Street Outreach Contractor FY24 Housing Outcome Performance
Outcome Metric Goal Performance Avg. Days to Exit
Individuals Served 235 364 NA
Temporary Housing Exits 39 25 28
Permanent Housing Exits 5 23 74
o Based on ride-a-long observations, the Street Outreach Contractor
generally engaged people experiencing homelessness about their
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needs in a person-centered way, such as asking what their needs were
and discussing available assistance options. There was indication that
Street Outreach Contractor staff had pre-established, positive
relationships with some of the people experiencing homelessness that
were encountered. When new individuals were encountered, they
were engaged in a friendly manner, were offered services, and were
given a way to contact the outreach team again (i.e., business card).
The Street Outreach Contractor appears to provide perishable life-
saving resources, such as water and snacks, but generally does not
provide non-perishable items like blankets or clothing.
o In addition to providing about $125,000 annually for street outreach
through the General Fund, the City has granted the Street Outreach
Contractor with Federal funds for emergency and supportive housing
through the American Rescue Plan Act. This money appears to have
been essential to meeting the Street Outreach Contractor's exits from
homelessness goals, however, the Federal money used for these
programs will run out by Fiscal Year 2026.
Why It Matters
The primary goal of street outreach is to support people experiencing
homelessness access to more stable housing. Street outreach is critical in
homelessness response because it meets people where they are, helping to
lower barriers and increase the number of people using available resources. The
City's Street Outreach Contractor appears to be generally functioning in this
manner and is meeting its housing outcome goals. However, it will quickly
become vital to find ways to continue financially supporting individuals who are
being assisted by the Street Outreach Contractor to continue connecting
people experiencing homelessness with more stable housing.
While HOT was intended to perform street outreach, it is not clear that this is an
efficient use of finite law enforcement resources. As previously stated, police
officers generally do not have the appropriate access, resources, or training to
connect people experiencing homelessness with more stable housing. Still,
additional street outreach resources are needed as many people experiencing
homelessness live unsheltered. For these reasons, the City should explore ways to
reallocate these resources to more effectively support people experiencing
homelessness.
Further, if the City continues funding two street outreach programs, these efforts
must be coordinated to ensure that resources are used efficiently. In particular,
having a centralized client list, shared data, and regular case conferencing
should increase the City's ability to monitor street outreach program outcomes
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and effectiveness. Community volunteers, especially those who have previously
experienced homelessness, may be helpful to assist with program gaps.
Recommendations:
9. Develop a system for measuring and regularly reporting on street outreach
program performance at a City-wide level by identifying and combing key
outcome data from all street outreach programs. This system should include
standardized data requirements and case management practices that
should be communicated to all street outreach providers.
Community Services Comments: Community Services staff will continue to
develop street outreach performance and reporting at a City-wide level. This
will require significant coordination with external partners.
10.Formalize a coordinated procedure for informing and offering assistance to
people experiencing unsheltered homelessness during inclement weather
events.
Community Services Comments: Community Services staff will continue to
work with internal and external partners to develop processes and
procedures to coordinate and inform and support individuals experiencing
homelessness.
11.Consider ways to engage community members in ongoing homelessness
response efforts. In particular, explore ways to engage people who have
previously experienced homelessness in response efforts.
Community Services Comments: Staff will explore opportunities for
community members to engage in the City's homeless response.
12.Evaluate ways to reallocate Homeless Outreach Team resources to better
align employee job duties with street outreach goals. If resources cannot be
reallocated, establish clear guidance for Outreach unit employees on the
goals of street outreach, provide mechanisms to financially assist clients with
housing stabilization needs, and create written expectations around client
data collection, case management, and outcome reporting.
Police Department Comments: The police department Outreach officers are
aligned with the street outreach goals, but always exploring way for the
department to work more collaboratively with Community Services personnel
should foster a more effective response.
13.Work with the Street Outreach Contractor to identify and report on
additional performance metrics related to length of time from unsheltered
homelessness to housing.
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Community Services Comments: Community Services staff will work with the
contractor to improve data collection and reporting on street outreach
performance.
14.Assist the Street Outreach Contractor in identifying new funding sources to
continue supporting emergency and supportive housing programs.
Community Services Comments: Community Services will continue to take a
more active role in supporting contractors with awareness of funding
opportunities and providing technical assistance.
The Community Shelter Contractor's Practices Do Not Align with
Housing-First or Low-Barrier Approaches as Required by Contract
The US Department of Housing and Urban Development and the National
Alliance to End Homelessness suggest that emergency shelters for people
experiencing homelessness should use low-barrier and housing-first approaches
to ensure as many people as possible receive assistance accessing stable
housing. Housing-first practices recognize that people who are actively
experiencing homelessness cannot fully address other financial or health issues,
until they are in a more stable environment such as permanent supportive
housing. Best practices suggest that housing-first approaches are effective if
people are provided with appropriate supportive services after they are placed
in a more stable housing solution.
Further, the premise behind low-barrier approaches is that assistance providers
should not make assumptions about a person's desire or ability to succeed in a
more stable housing solution based on their previous status. Low-barrier does not
mean that behaviors impacting the safety of other people should be tolerated,
but that only actual behavior should be used to bar someone from service.
Table 8 summarizes the elements of each of these approaches for emergency
shelters.
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Table 8: Summary of Emergency Shelter Best Practices
Housing-First Low-Barrier
• Provide diversion services upon e Allow entry 24/7
entry. 0 No drug & alcohol testing
• Prioritize shelter beds for those 0 No criminal background
at greatest risk for severe health checks
and safety consequences. 0 No income requirements
• Eliminate arbitrary exits. 0 No required service
• Develop a housing plan within participation
seven days of entry. 0 No or limited physical
screening procedures before
entry
• Have simple, community
expectations not extensive,
punitive rules
Further, best practices recommend that the following metrics be tracked and
reported on to understand if emergency shelters are operating effectively:
➢ Total beds and total unique households served;
➢ Total households entering shelter;
Total households exiting shelter and average length of stay;
➢ Total households exiting shelter to permanent housing and average length
of stay; and
Total households remaining in shelter and average length of stay.
What We Found
• The City of Denton has executed a contracted with a non-profit to operate
the Denton Community Shelter that generally aligns with best practices.
o This Management Service Operating Agreement was approved by the
City Council in June 2021 and became effective in December 2022
after a temporary certificate of occupancy for the community shelter
was issued. Prior to 2023, the City was contracting with this organization
to provide emergency shelter services at a smaller location.
o This contract requires that the Community Shelter Contractor use low-
barrier and housing-first approaches including: staying open and
accessible twenty-four-seven, not requiring sobriety, giving guests the
choice to dispose of drugs or alcohol if found on the premises or leave,
not denying or terminating access based on criminal or mental status
history, and having clear policies and procedures regarding behaviors
or violations of rules that will result in criminal trespass warnings.
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o Further, the contract requires that the Community Shelter Contractor
provide three types of services as outlined in Figure 7:
Figure 7: Community Shelter Services
All r
a �
Day Shelter Emergency Enhanced
Provide food, Shelter Shelter
showers, laundry, -Provides 120 •-•s -Provides 32 •-• •
• • storage. 1 rooms with six roomstwo •-•
-Provide care bunk beds each). each).
coordination
housing placement
o It should be noted that the Community Shelter Contractor has
changed operations to increase capacity. In particular, enhanced
shelter rooms now have bunk beds, increasing capacity to 64 beds,
and offers up to 16 mats for people for one night. While these
operational changes allow more individuals to sleep sheltered, they do
not necessarily facilitate housing placement for guests and may
reduce capacity for people with additional support needs like physical
disabilities or those fleeing domestic violence.
• The Community Shelter Contractor has generally not adopted housing-first
practices.
o All new guests at the Community Shelter are required to go through an
intake process whereby a coordinated entry assessment should only
be completed if the person is literally homeless.b Most shelter guests
had a coordinated entry assessment completed, but about 25 percent
of guests enrolled in emergency shelter, who are considered literally
homeless, did not have a completed assessment as outlined in Table 9.
6 A household is considered literally homeless if it: (1) primarily resides in a public or private place
not meant for human habitation, (2) lives in a shelter designated to provide temporary living
arrangements, or (3) is exiting an institution where they resided for 90 days or less, and resided in
a place under (1) or (2) immediately before entering that institution.
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Table 9: Coordinated Entry Completion Summary
Service Type Sampled Guests Percent with CE
Day Only 18 72%
Emergency 61 75%
Enhanced 11 100%
All: 90 77%
o The Coordinated Entry assessment uses the Vulnerability Index-Service
Prioritization Decision Assistance Tool, or VI-SPDAT, to assign each
household a number ranging from 0 to 16, with 16 indicating that the
household is the most vulnerable. The VI-SPDAT is not used by
Community Shelter Contractor staff to prioritize guest access to shelter
services. Statistical analysis indicates that shelter guests who receive
overnight shelter services generally have a lower VI-SPDAT on average
than those who only access day shelter services; however, there was
no statistical difference between those enrolled in emergency versus
enhanced shelter.
o Community Shelter guests using emergency shelter services are
required to enter a lottery to receive a bed. Under this system, names
are randomly drawn from those who entered the lottery until all 24
beds are filled. Beds are assigned for one week at a time and guests
who do not receive a bed are asked to leave the shelter for the night.
Two rooms are "reset" this way each weekday. It should be noted that
only three of these ten rooms are designated for women, meaning
there are some weekdays when a woman is not able to enter the
lottery to receive a bed.
Further, this system does not prioritize guest access to shelter based on
health or safety risks and instead necessarily exits individuals back into
literal homelessness. Specifically, 88 percent of guests who received
overnight shelter were exited back into homelessness after reviewing a
sample of case files (see Figure 8).
Moreover, Community Shelter guests using enhanced shelter services
are not required to enter the lottery system. Instead, according to
Community Shelter Contractor staff, guests are moved to enhanced
shelter when a bed becomes available and they are "ready." There is
no written application process or criteria for determining when a guest
is "ready" to receive enhanced shelter services, increasing the risk that
guests are treated inequitably or inconsistently.
o The Ready for Work Program connects guests to employment
opportunities before providing housing placement assistance. In
addition, potential program candidates must attend specific classes,
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perform 520 hours of volunteer work in the shelter, and submit to
regular drug and alcohol testing. This program is not based on a
housing-first model.
o The Community Shelter Contractor created a similar program for
emergency shelter guests who were "Work Verified." Under this
program, emergency shelter guests who were employed were
guaranteed a bed and did not have to enter the lottery system.
According to Community Shelter Contractor staff, this program was
changed based on direction from the City so that Work Verified guests
were still required to enter the lottery but did not have to be there in
person to do so. In January 2025, the City revised this instruction.
• Current staffing resources do not allow for case management services to be
effectively provided to all guests.
o According to best practices, a case manager for housing placement
support should generally serve between ten and 20 individuals. Based
on discussions with Community Shelter Contractor staff, there are
currently four dedicated case managers to support almost 200 guests.
o According to staff, only guests who are enrolled in enhanced shelter
services receive dedicated case management services (i.e., are
expected to meet with their case manager weekly and are provided a
service plan), meaning that, at most, only about a third of guests—who
are selected by shelter staff without a clear, written application or
evaluation process—are offered dedicated case management
support.
o Guests not enrolled in enhanced shelter may sign up to speak with a
case manager, but if their name is not called the day they sign up they
must re-sign up the next day. This system creates barriers for people
experiencing homelessness to access housing placement support,
especially if they are not guaranteed a bed that night.
o Based on a review of a sample of case management files, about 11
percent of overnight shelter guests had a service plan. For these
individuals, it took 150 days after entering emergency shelter and 47
days after entering enhanced shelter to receive a service plan on
average. Only guests who had entered enhanced shelter had a
service plan.
o About eight percent of guests reviewed were exited to a housing
solution. All guests exited to a housing solution were enrolled in
enhanced shelter and had a service plan. On average, it took 140
days after a service plan was created to exit to a housing solution.
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Figure 8: Summary of Shelter Service Exits
Diverted
4%
Enhanced: Exit
to
Homelessness
Emergency:
8%
Exits to 4,qq Other
Homelessness 16%
. Enhanced: Exit
to Housing
8%
• Length of stay data for Fiscal Year 2024 is not reliable.
o Based on review of 91 guests, 58 were enrolled in emergency shelter.
Of these, 20 had emergency shelter service end dates over one month
after day shelter service ended. While it is possible for a person to
access emergency shelter without using day shelter services (i.e., food,
hygiene products, clothes, etc.) it is unlikely. In addition, all 20 of these
guests were exited during the last two weeks of January 2024 or on
December 17, 2024, indicating a data quality issue with these guests'
stay lengths.
o In addition, only ten of these 20 guests appeared to have actually
received services during Fiscal Year 2024, and one guest did not
appear to have ever received services in Denton, indicating unique
guest data may also be inaccurate.
o Based on discussions with Community Shelter Contractor staff, these
discrepancies were due to historic data entry processes. In particular,
all guests were enrolled in emergency shelter upon intake, before it
was determined if they were assigned a bed. According to staff, this
practice changed in April 2024 so that overnight shelter service
enrollment is updated each night. These data quality issues are
illustrated in Figure 10.
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Figure 9: Emergency Shelter Length of Stay Frequencies
20
15
10
5
L L
0
<30 Days 31-60 Days 61-90 Days 91-120 Days >121 Days
■Guests w/o Discrepancies ■Discrepancies Enhanced Guests
Some emergency shelter guests may have longer lengths of stay due
to the Work Verified program; however, the frequency chart indicates
there may be more data discrepancies than just the 20 identified.
• The Community Shelter Contractor has adopted some low-barrier practices;
however, barriers could be further lowered.
o To enter the Community Shelter there are no income requirements,
there is no drug or alcohol testing, there are no criminal background
checks, and there is no required program participation—though it
should be noted overnight guests are asked to perform an "effort" (i.e.,
a chore) to help keep the shelter clean.
o Still, the City's contract requires the community shelter contractor to
"[e]nsure immediate and easy access to shelter by . . . staying open
and accessible 24/7." According to shelter staff, individuals are
generally not allowed to enter the facility after 8:00 p.m. and guests
must "check-in" by 6:00 p.m. or lose their assigned bed. This indicates
that the shelter is not open and accessible, even for guests with beds,
twenty-four-seven.
o Further, the shelter requires all guests to empty their pockets, allow a
bag inspection to occur, and submit to a handheld metal detector
screening before entering the shelter, which contradicts low-barrier
best practices.
• The Community Shelter Contractor has adopted extensive rules that are not
always clearly documented and a punitive punishment system.
o The Community Shelter Contractor provides a "Welcome Packet" to all
guests upon entry that includes a list of 18 "Expectations" and 13
"Announcements" as well as policies on Substance Use, Weapons,
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Storage, and Pets. Guests are required to sign the packet
acknowledging they understand these rules before entry.
o As required by contract, the Community Shelter Contractor has
adopted a clear policy and procedure regarding violations of rules
that result in removal from the Community Shelter, known as the
Progressive Discipline Chart. The Progressive Discipline Chart is not
provided as part of the Welcome Packet.
o The Progressive Discipline Chart directly contradicts the contract
regarding punishment for drugs and alcohol. The contract states,
"Those found using, selling, or possessing drugs or alcohol will be given
the opportunity to dispose of the items or asked to exit the shelter for
the night." The Progressive Discipline Chart prescribes at least a three-
day suspension for "possession of contraband inside the facility" and
requires issuing a criminal trespass for selling drugs on the property.?
o During Fiscal Year 2024, 1 1 1 individuals were expelled from the
Community Shelter, about half of whom were also criminally trespassed
according to the Community Shelter Contractor's records. In addition,
167 suspensions of varying lengths were issued as illustrated in Figure 10.
Based on a review of a sample 38 punishments issued, 95 percent
aligned with this policy.
Figure 10: FY24 Punishment Type Frequency Chart
120
100
80
60
40
20
0 M
1 Day 3 Days 3 Weeks 3 Months Expulsion Criminal
Trespass
o Based on a review of a sample of incident reports, about a quarter of
incidents resulted in a longer suspension than would otherwise have
been imposed due to the "progressive" nature of the Community
Shelter Contractor's punishment system (i.e., if someone has already
been suspended for three days, they must next be suspended for three
weeks even if the violation is a three-day violation).
7 The Welcome Packet includes alcohol, drugs, and drug paraphernalia in the "Prohibited
Contraband" category under the Substance Use Policy.
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o Almost a third of punishments were issued after a person broke a rule
that was not clearly outlined in the Welcome Packet (e.g., entering
emergency shelter rooms during the day, sleeping in their vehicle while
on the property, trying to get a second serving of food, etc.). Further, it
is not always clear that a suspension is based on behavior that causes
a safety risk based on auditor reviews of related incident reports. The
results of this assessment are outlined in Table 10. Punishment decisions
are entirely made by security staff and are not reviewed by or
discussed with a case manager or other assistance provider.
Table 10: Punishment Reasonableness Review Summary
Punishment Assessed Safety Risk
Low Medium High
1 Day 1 0 0
3 Days 6 5 0
3 Weeks 4 2 0
3 Months 2 2 0
Expulsion 1 2 4
Criminal Trespass 2 4 2
All: 16 15 6
o Based on a review of the sample, over half of people were expelled
because they refused to leave the property, generally after being
approached by staff after some other less serious issue occurred. This is
illustrated by the relatively higher number of criminal trespasses issued
for lower-risk behavior (i.e., almost 60 percent of expulsions were for
high-risk behavior and only 25 percent of criminal trespasses were for
high-risk behavior).
o In addition, the Progressive Discipline Chart states that each quarter
expulsions, including issued criminal trespasses, should be reviewed to
determine if they should be lifted. Based on a review of the Community
Shelter Contractor's expulsion and suspension spreadsheet, only one
quarterly review occurred in the first quarter of Fiscal Year 2024. In
addition, while the Community Shelter Contractor staff stated they
have contacted the Police Department to lift criminal trespasses,
Police Department records do not indicate that any criminal trespasses
have ever been lifted from the Community Shelter.
o Finally, based on a review of all documented expulsions, five
individuals have been expelled from the shelter based on the violation
"Board Issued/Approved." One of these individuals was included in the
sample review and the incident report only stated, "Expelled Per [the
Community Shelter Contractor] Board of Directors."
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 32
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
• The City has not historically requested or received feedback from Community
Shelter guests.
o The Community Shelter Contractor has designed a system to accept
guest feedback; however, City staff has not previously requested to
review this information as allowed by contract.
o Further guests are required to request a grievance form from
Community Shelter Contractor staff, which may discourage individuals
from submitting grievances. Guest grievances have also not been
previously requested or provided to City staff.
Why It Matters
Emergency shelters are intended to be places where people experiencing
homelessness can receive assistance accessing more stable housing as well as
short-term support needed due to a crisis. To do this, best practices suggest that
people not be excluded from accessing emergency shelter unless there is a
behavior-based safety concern and that shelter programing be focused on
connecting people to more stable housing. Without this focus, people
experiencing homelessness are less likely to be connected to more stable
housing.
While the City's contract specifies that the Community Shelter Contractor should
use low-barrier and housing-first approaches in shelter operations, this had not
generally been their practice, resulting in about 88 percent of overnight guests
exiting back into homelessness and many not clearly receiving assistance to
access more stable housing. In addition, while people's criminal and mental
history and sobriety status are not used to initially bar people from entering, the
rules and punishment system may exclude more people experiencing
homelessness from accessing support than is appropriate.
Finally, accurate data is critical to understanding an emergency shelter's
performance and housing outcomes. Without accurate data, it is difficult to
assess how many people are being served and if that service is effective.
Further, this information is useful to understand how the housing stability
assistance system operates as a whole as housing placements are ultimately
dependent upon availability.
Recommendations:
15.Work with the Community Shelter Contractor to eliminate arbitrary exits
caused by the lottery system to allow for a greater focus on housing
placement. A prioritization system should be developed to ensure limited
resources are provided equitably.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 33
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Community Services Comments: Community Services is seeking Council
direction on proposed solutions to arbitrary exits and the lottery system. If
approved, staff will bring forward a proposal to develop criteria for shelter
stays that ensure a focus on housing placement.
16.Ensure all guests at the Community Shelter receive dedicated case
management support and receive a housing plan shortly after entry.
Community Services Comments: Staff is seeking Council direction on
proposed solutions to ensure all guests at the community shelter receive case
management and a housing plan within seven days of entry. If approved,
staff will work to implement.
17.Develop a process to verify that performance metrics reported by the
Community Shelter Contractor are accurate. Community Services staff
should at least use HMIS access to spot-check case files.
Community Services Comments: Staff are seeking council recommendation
on several changes to the MSOA agreement. The contract renegotiation will
require accurate reporting requirements that will be closely monitored by
Community Services staff.
18.Work with the Community Shelter Contractor to establish written procedures
for reviewing guest suspension and expulsions. This process should include
evaluating rules regularly to avoid creating or escalating conflicts and
minimizing suspension lengths to ensure those in need can access services
safely.
Community Services Comments: If Council approves staff recommendations,
staff will work with the contractor to establish clear guidelines for guest stays
and suspension and expulsions.
19.Regularly review Community Shelter guest feedback including comments
and grievances. Consider creating a process for shelter guests to
anonymously or directly report grievances to City staff.
Community Services Comments: Staff will begin reviewing all available
feedback and will investigate developing a direct feedback mechanism.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 34
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Audit Project Background
The Internal Audit Department is responsible for providing: (a) an independent
appraisa18 of City operations to ensure policies and procedures are in place and
complied with, inclusive of purchasing and contracting; (b) information that is
accurate and reliable; (c) assurance that assets are properly recorded and
safeguarded; (d) assurance that risks are identified and minimized; and (e)
assurance that resources are used economically and efficiently and that the
City's objectives are being achieved.
Auditing Standards
We conducted this performance audit in accordance with generally accepted
government auditing standards. Those standards require that we plan and
perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate evidence to provide a
reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
We believe that the evidence obtained provides a reasonable basis for our
findings and conclusions based on our audit objectives.
Management Responsibility
City management is responsible for ensuring that resources are managed
properly and used in compliance with laws and regulations; programs are
achieving their objectives; and services are being provided efficiently,
effectively, and economically.
Objectives, Scope, and Methodology
The City Auditor's Office has completed an audit of the City's homelessness
response activities including enforcement actions, street outreach activities, and
emergency shelter operations. This report is intended to provide assurance that
the City's response to homelessness is effective, equitable, and in compliance
with applicable regulations and guidance.
Audit fieldwork was conducted during December 2024, and January, February,
and March 2025. The scope of review varied depending on the procedure
being performed. The following list summarizes major procedures performed
during this time:
➢ Reviewed documentation to develop criteria including documented
policies, State of Texas regulations, City requirements, and best practices
supported by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development;
8 The City of Denton Internal Auditor's Office is considered structurally independent as defined by generally accepted
government auditing standard 3.56.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 35
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
➢ Interviewed Community Services Department, Police Department,
Municipal Court, and contracted non-profit staff;
➢ Compared State and local laws to Federal guidance to identify which
laws may impact people experiencing homelessness;
➢ Observed street outreach activities conducted by the Homeless Outreach
Team and contracted street outreach staff and volunteered at the
Denton Community Shelter;
➢ Reviewed a statistical sample of 93 Police Department CIRT and MENTAL
calls to determine unit response and documented outcomes;
➢ Reviewed a statistical sample of 92 Police Department OUTREACH calls to
determine unit response and documented outcomes;
Reviewed outreach outcome data provided by the Street Outreach
contractor and compared actual Fiscal Year 2024 outcomes to
contracted goals;
➢ Reviewed a sample of Denton Community Shelter guest case files to
determine outcomes and evaluate data accuracy; and
Examined a sample of Denton Community Shelter incident reports to
evaluate safety risks and punishment decisions.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 36
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Appendix A: Management Response Summary
The following summarizes the recommendations issued throughout this report. The
auditors found that staff and the Department were receptive and willing to make
improvements to controls where needed. Management has provided their
response to each recommendation.
Centrally track all large encampment locations and
1 regularly monitor encampment sites to help inform Agree
closure and cleaning decisions.
Homeless Programs Expected
Responsibility: FY25-26, Q2
Manager Completion:
Update the Encampment Response Guidelines to align
2 with State law. Agree
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY24-25, Q4
Manager Completion:
3 Provide notice of encampment closures, at least, in Agree
English and Spanish. g
Homeless Programs Expected
Responsibility: FY24-25, Q4
Manager Completion:
Explore options for providing temporary storage to
4 people experiencing homelessness. Partially Agree
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY25-26, Q1
Manager Completion:
Develop a systematic process to assess and monitor
5 encampments on private property to minimize health Agree
and safety risks.
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY25-26, Q2
Manager Completion:
Create a process to allow for increased diversion of
6 mental health calls that minimizes the involvement of Agree
law enforcement officers to the extent possible.
Responsibility: Expected FY, Q
Completion:
Explore options for providing mental health resources to
7 9-1-1 callers with low-risk levels without involving law Partially Agree
enforcement officers.
Responsibility: Expected FY, Q
Completion:
Provide guidance to Public Safety Communications on
8 assessing mental health call risk levels to help divert calls Disagree
from law enforcement when possible.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 37
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Responsibility: Expected FY, Q
Completion:
Develop a system for measuring and regularly reporting
9 on street outreach program performance at a City-wide Agree
level by identifying and combing key outcome data g
from all street outreach programs.
Homeless Programs Expected
Responsibility: FY25-26, Q2
Manager Completion:
Formalize a coordinated procedure for informing and
10 offering assistance to people experiencing unsheltered Agree
homelessness during inclement weather events.
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY25-26, Q1
Manager Completion:
Consider ways to engage community members in
1 1 ongoing homelessness response efforts. Agree
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY25-26, Q2
Manager Completion:
Evaluate ways to reallocate Homeless Outreach Team
12 resources to better align employee job duties with street Partially Agree
outreach goals.
Responsibility: Expected FY, Q
Completion:
Work with the Street Outreach Contractor to identify
13 and report on additional performance metrics related to Agree
length of time from unsheltered homelessness to
housing.
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY25-26, Q2
Manager Completion:
Assist the Street Outreach Contractor in identifying new
14 funding sources to continue supporting emergency and Agree
supportive housing programs.
Homeless Programs Expected
Responsibility: FY24-25, Q4
Manager Completion:
Work with the Community Shelter Contractor to
15 eliminate arbitrary exits caused by the lottery system to Agree
allow for a greater focus on housing placement.
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY25-26, Q1
Manager Completion:
Ensure all guests at the Community Shelter receive
16 dedicated case management support and receive a Agree
housing plan shortly after entry.
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 38
Audit of Homelessness Response April 2025
Responsibility: Homeless Programs Expected FY24-25, Q4
Manager Completion:
Develop a process to verify that performance metrics
17 reported by the Community Shelter Contractor are Agree
accurate.
Responsibility: Homeless Program Expected FY24-25, Q4
Manager Completion:
Work with the Community Shelter Contractor to establish
18 written procedures for reviewing guest suspension and Agree
expulsions.
Responsibility: Homeless Program Expected FY24-25, Q4
Manager Completion:
19 Regularly review Community Shelter guest feedback Agree
including comments and grievances. g
Homeless Program Expected
Responsibility: FY24-25, Q3
Manager Completion:
Audit Project #: 042 Page 1 39
Homelessness Initiative Update
City Council Work Session
N ove m be r 19, 2024
Christine Taylor, Assistant City Manager
CITY
OF
DENTON
Presentation Goals & Strategic Alignment
Homelessness is a complex issue with many underlying factors. Today's
presentation will provide an update and seek Council feedback on one of the City
of Denton's homelessness initiatives: Denton Community Shelter.
This initiative supports the City's Key Focus Area : Foster Economic Opportunity
and Affordability.
* Homelessness Presentation Part II on 12/3/2024 will focus on outreach services & encampments
ID 040 November
— DENTON COUNTY
-
Background HOUSING & HOMELESSNESS
LEADERSHIP TEAM
In 2014, the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness was created. United Wayof Denton County
In 2015, the task force issued a report recommending a shelter facility,
community collaboration, and funding for homelessness initiatives.
In 2016, the City of Denton and United Way of Denton County established the
Denton County Homelessness Leadership Team (DCHLT), a public-private
partnership focused on reducing homelessness through coordinated prevention
and intervention.
In 2018, DCHLT formed an ad hoc Shelter Task Force to evaluate shelter quality
and capacity in Denton County. The task force provided recommendations,
which guided the City's next steps.
ID 040 November
C_ SERVICE COMPONENT PROVIDERS PURPOSE SERVICES
U (A
(� M7revention
Salvation Army; Kee families housed;p Assistance with rent, and/or
O > • Our Daily Bread;
_ prevent evictions utilities; case management
Giving Grace
Q
Q
a) • Giving Grace Connect people to
Obtain IDs; referrals to;
> Outreach • Denton PD (HOT) shelter, housing, and shelter/housing; mental
M1
a-3 66 Homeless Outreach Team other services health/substance use
U cn services
N ------ ----------------------------------------------------
U 1 1
1
Provide shelter; Shelter; meals, 1
> 1 Emergency Our Daily Bread
U 1 r1F� address basic needs, basic hygiene, 1
1 r1►1 Shelter • Salvation Army 1
�/� connect to housing case management
>� 1
C— Ln I
= ousing Stability Denton County Friends of Transitional stay 90-120 day stays;
U Ell,
1 the Family; while locatingcase management
Short-Term our Daily Bread
� Q permanent housing: Medium-Term
• Christian Community Action Rapidly rehouse and
0 = 3: Long-Term 2 • Giving Grace; reconnect to 3 to 24 months of rental
4_j • Our Daily Bread permanent housing assistance
Cz p
W _l"i • Denton County MHMR; Ongoing assistance for Rental subsidy
3 • Denton Housing Authority; for low-income and
• Giving Grace vulnerable populations people with disabilities
ID 040 November2024
Point in Time (PIT) Count
Homeless Data Denton County
Adults Experiencing Homelessness
Pandemic Shelter Opens
500
400
300 '
■Other Cities
i
200
' ■City of Lewisville
100 ■City of Denton
0 —
2019 2020 2022 2023 2024
2019 2020 2022 2023 2024
City of Denton 159 214 384 371 424
City of Lewisville 26 35 55 42 78
Other Cities 9 9 9 18 16
Total, 194 258 448 431 518
City of Denton change in% I - 35% 79% -3% 14%
2021: PIT Count at the National and State Level for 2021 was optional due to Covid 19 resulting in a partial/incomplete PIT Count,data not included
ID 040 November
Point in Time (PIT) Count
Homeless Data Denton County
Sheltered/U nsheltered
Pandemic Shelter Opens
300 —
cu
261 283
N 250
199 235
N 200 '
CL 187 210
cu 1so 127 ;
a
O 100
i
N
E 50 67 59
z
0
2019 2020 2022 2023 2024
—Sheltered 67 59 261 210 283
Unsheltered 127 199 187 221 235
ID 040 November
Community Shelter
In 2020, the City Council approved the purchase of the property at 909 Loop
288 to renovate the 34,000 square foot building, for a co-located day center
and overnight shelter to provide services to people experiencing or at-risk of
homelessness.
In 2021, The City executed a Management OUR
Services and Operating Agreement (MSOA) IeDAILY BREAD
with Our Daily Bread. This agreement is for five
years from Certificate of Occupancy Issuance
(Nov. 2022)
In Dec. 2022, the shelter opened.
_ _ r
ID
040 November
I
Community Shelter Services
Shelter (Emergency and Transitional)
o Day Shelter (8a-8p) —
o Overnight Shelter (4p-8a)
Community Kitchen: Meals served three times a day
Breakfast (8a-9a) ,
Lunch (11:30a-1p)
T
Dinner (5:30p-7p)
Housing, Income and Employment �►
- Wellness and Support Services
040 November
CommunityShelter Background
MSOA Service Expectations:
Offer low barriers shelter
Utilize best practices
Adopt program strategies that are housing-focused
Offer individual basic needs organized to route guests into stable or permanent
housing or other long-term placement in treatment, as needed.
Complete accountability for the services outcomes with proven results in
reducing the number of people who become homeless, increasing housing
placement, and reducing in the percentage of persons returning to
homelessness
ID 040 November
Shelter Model Best Practices
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORK ON EXIT TO
ENTER INTAKE SERVICES PLAN HOUSING HOUSING
GOALS SOLUTION
DAY 1
PF
Security check Before accessing Guests access Guest works Guest works with Guest exits shelter
at entrance for shelter services, new meals, with case case manager to to housing
all guests. guests complete showers. manager to achieve goals solution.
Identify new intake and get laundry, and complete and identify
guests. assigned to case supportive housing plans housing solution.
manager. services. and identify
goals.
ID 040 November
Shelter Assessment/Opportunities
Best Practice: Single Point of Entry Best Practice: Housing Plan in 7 Days
Opportunity: Reduce Multiple Points of Entry to One Opportunity: Review Data and Determine Goal
SUPPORTIVE HOUSING WORK ON EXIT TO
ENTER INTAKE SERVICES PLAN HOUSING HOUSING
+ GOALS SOLUTION
DAY 1
n PF F+1
Security check Before accessing Guests access Guest works Guest works with Guest exits shelter
at entrance for shelter services, nev, meals, with case case manager to to housing
all guests. guests complete showers. manager to achieve goals I solution.
Identify new intake and get laundry, and complete and identify CURRENT
guests. assigned to case supportive housing plans housing solution. •6% exited to a housing solution
manager. services. and identify •133 Days Ave. (70 over 365 days)
goals.
Best Practice: Intake All Guests Best Practice: Ideal Ratio 1:30
Conditions July 2024 Opportunity: Complete Intake for all Guests at Entry Opportunity: Improve current Ratio 1:167
Community Shelter Data
A��Mllllll� ink
Volunteers 7 25 25
Average Nightly • Utilization 150 142
Average Daily Meals Served 185 185
Total Guests - - • 11203 900
Case Manager • Client Ratio Data Not Available 1/167*
Housing Placements 6%1 49 5%, 47
Data based on 897 unduplicated guests across all shelter services
ID 040
9.5% of City of Denton Fire
i Calls, and 4% of Police Calls i
Public Safet Data i are related to homelessness
y - - - - - - - - - - - -
Public Safety Incidents at 909 N. Loop 288
70
gD
❑ DFD
50 ❑ DPD
Ao
30
20
to
0
In Feb Mir Apr Wy Jun lul Aug Sep at Nw De Ian Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug
Ion 2024
ID 141 November2024
Station # 2's data reflects
1 29% of incident response is i
Public Safet Data related to homelessness
- - - - - -
5
5,797 ,958
5,411
4,930
4,720
4,122
3,977
1,988
1,551
581 498 437
244 141 36 8 T 109
DISTRICT 1(12%) DISTRICT 2(29%) DISTRICT 3(5%) DISTRICT 4(3%) DISTRICT 5(9%) DISTRICT 6(1%) DISTRICT 7(0%) DISTRICT S(7%) DISTRICT 9(6',.)
■Incidents Related to Homelessness ■Total Incidents
ID 141 November2024
Shelter Improvements in Progress
GOAL: Using a collaborative, data-driven approach for continuous improvement to boost safety,
efficiency, and successful outcomes at the shelter. Four key focus areas have been identified to
refine operations for greater safety and efficiency:
1. Entry — Strengthen training and policies to ensure a safe, welcome guest.
2. Intake — Reconfigure the lobby and streamline the intake process for improved flow and
efficiency.
3. Housing Plan — Implement a structured process for developing individualized housing plans
4. Support for Housing Goals — Increase staff capacity to effectively assist guests in achieving
long-term housing solutions.
ID 040 November
CityStrategic Actions
Create a Dashboard in Envisio to help inform data-driven decision-making.
• Track Progress on Identified Process Improvements for Shelter Operations.
• Conduct a Peer Review (Boulder, Colorado).
• Advocate for funding in the Legislative Program.
ID 040 November
Recommendations for Discussion
Enhancing Safety and Efficiency at the Shelter
1. Engagement in Programming
• Develop guidelines, including requirements for guest participation in programs that support personal
progress toward exiting the shelter to housing.
• Action: Present proposal for future consideration.
2. Evaluate Entry Requirements
• Evaluate raising the barrier to balance maintaining a safe and supportive environment.
• Action: Submit a proposal and recommended amendments to the MSOA.
3. Regional Funding Support
• Explore funding contributions from neighboring communities to sustain shelter operations.
• Action: The Shelter Advisory Board has drafted a letter for the Homelessness Leadership Team (HLT).
4. Onsite Medical Services
Collaborate with partner agencies to provide medical support during peak response times.
Action: ODB to lead efforts in securing partner agency support for onsite services.
ID 040 November
COUNCIL DISCUSSION
Homelessness Initiative Update 2
April 15 , 2025
Jesse Kent, Director of Community Services
CITY
OF
D -F--jNTON
Presentation Goals & Strategic Alignment
Homelessness is a complex issue with many underlying factors. Today's
presentation will provide an update and seek Council feedback on the City of
Denton's funded homelessness initiatives (encampments and the community
shelter) covered by the Auditor's report and our focus on assisting individuals out
of homelessness.
This presentation will not cover the City's inclement weather policy or legislative
priorities; these topics will be in a future work session.
This initiative supports the City's Key Focus Area : Foster Economic Opportunity
and Affordability.
Background
Continuing the discussion from November last year on
Community Shelter founding and operations; opportunities
for improvement, including :
Safety and security concerns
Space and process enhancements
Service delivery optimization
Opportunities for partnership
SERVICE COMPONENT PROVIDERS PURPOSE SERVICES
Salvation Army;
• Keep families housed; Assistance with rent, and/or
O > ajrevention Our Daily Bread;
— prevent evictions utilities; case management
Giving Grace
Q •— 1
1 Obtain IDs; referrals to; 1
Q) _ 1 Giving Grace Connect people to 1
shelter/housin mental
> Outreach 1 Denton PD Outreach shelter, housing, and g;
+, Team other services 1
1 health/substance use 1
1
U N 1 i services 1
Shelter; meals, 1
U •> Emergency • Our Daily Bread Provide shelter; 1
(U � � Shelter 1 Salvation Army address basic needs, basic hygiene; 1
i connect to housing case managementLn
i
1
C— � 1
D Q) Housing Stability 1 Denton County Friends of Transitional stay 90-120 day stays;
O while locating..�• 1: Short-Term 1 1 the Family; permanent housing case management
U E 1 Our Daily Bread
2: Medium-Term ------------------------------------- ----
C Q • Christian Community Action Rapidly rehouse and
Q = 3: Long-Term 2 • Giving Grace; reconnect to 3 to 24 months of rental
4--' • Our Daily Bread permanent housing assistance
C Q
Q) 4--' • Denton County MHMR; Ongoing assistance for Rental subsidy
0 3 • Denton Housing Authority; for low-income and
Giving Grace vulnerable populations people with disabilities
PF ID 24-2043, April2025
Point in Time (PIT) Count
Denton County
Homeless ata Adults Experiencing Homelessness
600
Pandemic Shelter Opens
500
i
400
i
i
300
i
i ■Other Cities
i
200
■City of Lewisville
100 i i ■City of Denton
i
0
2019 2020 2022 2023 2024
2019 2020 2022 2023 2024
City of Denton 159 214 384 371 424
City of Lewisville 26 35 55 42 78
Other Cities 9 9 9 18 16
Total 194 2581 448 4311 518
City of Denton change in % - 35% 79% -3% 14%
2021: PIT Count at the National and State Level for 2021 was optional due to Covid 19 resulting in a partial/incomplete PIT Count, data not included
ID 24-2043, April2025
Denton County
Homeless Data Homelessness
Data Dashboard
Total Denton County Actively Homeless Households
57s
552
449
2023 Monthly Average 2024 Monthly Average 2025 Monthly Average YTD
.r"24-2043, Apprill 15, 2025
Encampments
Addressing encampments requires the coordination of four
different steps with many stakeholders
I I I
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:..r>
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..i ;;,:.�+ for, A:*; y,re�'�, - iA. .� ._ �.x•'. _..;�°'" ... )y � Y .Ae.�[ � t, ' a'F ,A��'��*'A4 `_a' ✓ `,�„' '�, x�: _�F"
WA
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ot
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CD
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' � ,, •cgs� �x �� g �
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"
ID 24-2043, April 15, 2025 8
Groups involved in addressin ments
� encampments
p
'W 1W �� MW
Identification _ _ - -qW
Enforcement
• Residents Non-profit Police Outreach City staff, including
• Council members agencies, I Team I Parks and Code
• City staff specifically Giving Enforcement
• Businesses Grace ($125,000) I I Private contractors
• Police Outreach Property owners
Team I I
• Unaffiliated groups I I
I I
and concerned I I
I I
individuals I I
I I
Pp Community Services
I I
I I
I I
I ! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ -j
ID 04
Recommendation : Enhance coordination
Opportunities for greater coordination exists
• As of January, Community Services maintains responsibility for
ensuring all encampments are appropriately managed, from
identification to cleanup
• Develop a process to connect the unaffiliated groups doing this
work with the coordinated collective effort
Recommendation : Redistribute outreach
resources
Move the civilian components of the PD Outreach Team to
Community Services
• Align staffing with best practices for mental health response and
reduce the strain on public safety resources
• Maintain the ability to respond to individuals experiencing mental
health crisis
City
Proposed process
Day 0 Day 0-3 Date of Notice - Day Prior to Cleanup
• Community Services is Cleanup
responsible for Encampment Street
Noticed for Outreach
Encampment Cleanup Conducted
scheduling and Identified
managing cleanup of Cleanup Street Trespass
Encampment Quoted and Outreach Remaining
encampments Logged and Scheduled Conducted Individuals
Outreach
Notified
• Cleanup goal is Street Conduct
Outreach Cleanup
completed within one Conducted
week of identification
ID 04
Private Property Process
Increase support for the myriad I entificatio
potential processes Street
Outreach I entificatio
Street
• Develop best practices and technical Outreach
nforceme t nforceme t
assistance to help property owners batemen
navigate dealing with encampments entificatio Cleanup nforceme I entificatio
Mediation
• Explore opportunities to provide
batemen
Street
cleanup support to property owners Outreach
I entificatio Encampments on I entificatio
Private Property
ID 24-2043, April2025
In summary
City should adopt a more collaborative, proactive approach to
addressing encampments in the City through:
• Continuing to develop coordination tools for encampment and street
outreach tracking
• Streamlining the encampment cleanup process on public property
• Providing additional technical support to property owners in addressing
encampments
• Explore programming to provide support to address the impact of
homelessness on property owners
Community S
In 2020, the City Council approved the purchase of the property at 909 Loop
288 to renovate the 341000 square foot building, for a co-located day center
and overnight shelter to provide services to people experiencing or at-risk of
homelessness.
In 2021, The City executed a Management OUR
Services and Operating Agreement ( MSOA) DAILY LY BREAD
with Our Daily Bread . This agreement is for five
years from Certificate of Occupancy Issuance
( Nov. 2022)
In Dec. 2022, the shelter opened . -
k :S -
ID
24-2043, April 15, 2025
Community Shelter Services
Shelter (Emergency and Transitional) '—
Day Shelter (8a-8p) �
Overnight Shelter (4p-8a)
Community Kitchen: Meals served three times aday
Breakfast (8a-9a)
Lunch (11:30a-1p)
� Dinner (5:30p-7p)
Housing, Income and Employment (Such as Ready For Work)
Wellness and Support Services ' �
What the Shelter is and is not
The Shelter is: The Shelter is NOT and was
An overnight emergency shelter never designed to be:
for individuals looking to progress
A rehabilitation facility
out of homelessness
A day shelter and central location A medical aftercare facility
for supportive services, such as A mental health facility
meals, clothing, workforce Along-term housing solution
development
An inclement weather shelter
Recommendation : Reset capacity to available
p y
case management resources
Tie overnight shelter capacity to case management capacity
• Limit the Community Shelter long-term (greater than one week) resident capacity to the
number of guests they can effectively case manage, in line with best practices (i.e. No more
than 17 guests per dedicated case manager)*
• Currently this limit would be 119 clients receiving overnight services across emergency
shelter and the transitional wing, based on seven active case managers; reduced from the
current capacity of 192
• Allow for other partner agencies actively managing clients to house guests at the community
shelter, provided they have an appropriate housing plan
• Develop a wait list to access shelter services
*This will not impact service level increases tied to the City's Inclement Weather Policy
ID 24-2043, April
Recommendation : Lengtho StayPolicy
Length of stay should be based on accountability for progressing out of homelessness
• Individuals are accountable for progressing on their housing plan to remain at the shelter and
should remain focused on their individual goals
• In 2024, 99 guests were dropped off from outside of Denton by various organizations;
individuals who are sent to the shelter from outside our community should receive up to
three days of shelter and provided the resources to return to their care network or
community
• From May through December 2024, Our Daily Bread asked first-time guests "what is your last
known city or zip code" Of the 498 responses, only 120 responded with the City of Denton
(24%).
ID 04
Recommendation : Raise barriers
Remove low-barrier language; continued stay is conditional upon
personal conduct
• Staying at the shelter means progressing on individual housing
plans
• Individuals who create an unsafe environment for staff or clients
be removed
Recommendation : Provide care at the shelter
Emergency situations will continue to exist, resources should be
brought in to treat issues where they are
• Partnerships should be established to bring medical care into the facility
to reduce the burden on emergency services and local hospitals
• City mental health clinicians should spend time officing at the shelter
• Continue to seek grant opportunities, such as the Bloomberg Mayor's
Challenge
• United Way of Denton County Interns
In summary
Shelter operations should continue to be improved, practices
should be reassessed, and the contract should be amended to
include:
• Limiting overnight stay capacity to case management resourcing
• Implementing a Length of Stay Policy and guidelines to ensure that
the shelter is focused on housing individuals
• Raising barrier levels
COUNCIL DISCUSSION