Volunteers needed for annual Point-in-Time count of homeless population in North Texas

Organizations will soon have a clearer picture of the homelessness crisis in North Texas and across the nation.

On Thursday night, people facing homelessness are being counted as part of the annual "Point in Time" count, also known as PIT.

Local organizations are looking for an army of volunteers to make sure the often unseen are seen and counted.

Tarrant County Homeless Coalition is leading the count in the Fort Worth area and will also cover Arlington, Mansfield, the mid-cities, and Parker County. Click here to sign up as a volunteer.

Volunteer requirements:

• Must be 18 years old by the night of the count
• Teams must consist of 3-5 people
• Teams must have access to a smart phone
• Must provide contact information for each team member
• Teams are highly encouraged to ride in one vehicle
• Must be available on Thursday, January 25th, 2023 from 5:30 p.m. to midnight

Each volunteer must complete participant agreement & waiver form

Housing Forward is leading the count in the Dallas side of the metroplex, which will also cover Collin County. Click here to sign up as a volunteer.

Housing Forward evening agenda:

• 5:30 p.m. – Team Check Begins
• 5:45 p.m. Volunteer Briefing Session
• 6 p.m. – Deploy, Search and Survey
• 10 p.m. – Return to Command Center

Both organizations will also deliver care packages and other resources to individuals volunteers come across during the count.

The PIT count is required in all states by the federal government to keep numbers accurate. It also helps organizations get federal dollars and grants to address homelessness. Many organizations in the state of Texas are holding the count on the same night, Jan. 25.

In Tarrant County, numbers had been level for many years before the pandemic. In 2021, it dropped dramatically because of a surge in federal dollars to help homelessness but that all changed last year.

"Last year, the number went up by 27%. So our homeless population is growing. We attribute that to the fact that Tarrant County really was a very affordable place to live. And we feel like we've really turned a corner,” said Lauren King, executive director of Tarrant County Homeless Coalition. “People who have been here for a long time, who are working hard, who are doing what they can – many of those people can no longer afford to call this place home. So we have seen a pretty significant uptick in people experiencing homelessness."

Inflation and the demand on available housing also put a strain on families, King added.

"For years, probably decades, people have told us that the number one reason they're experiencing homelessness is because they have an inability to pay rent. So we've seen that continue to happen," she said. "It's not even evictions. Often families will come to us and say my lease is ending, but my landlord is raising my rent by $300 to $500. The demand is just there so people are moving here at a very, very fast rate. Our housing market has not kept up with that. As people are moving here, we are not producing housing at the same rate. So that's really significant."

A bright spot in the numbers across North Texas is the dent organizations are making in the amount of homeless veterans.

"About 8% of our population are veterans. The VA has invested in housing in a big way so veteran homelessness for us has dropped significantly," said King.

In 2018, TCHC hosted a challenge to house 100 veterans in 100 days. They ended up housing nearly 200.

"Since then, our community has seen veteran homelessness just decrease and decrease," King said.

A presentation will be given by all counting organizations in the spring that will reveal the numbers collected this week. From there, actions will be taken to continue the work to end homelessness in North Texas.

"Everyone from elected officials to funders to nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness -- we all have a common vision of a vibrant community where everyone has a place to call home. And we are all working toward that. So we are truly housing focused and working on getting people out of homelessness and back to a place to call home," said King.

This latest count also comes just days after Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson's new task force on homelessness released its first report on the success of the task force so far.

It found that Dallas saw a significant increase in the number of people living on the streets in the last ten years. But since 2020, that number has been dropping.

Some solutions recommended in the report include improving city functions like permitting to increase available housing. It also recommends long-term solutions like more access to behavioral health services.

The special session held by Dallas city leaders also saw public comments by concerned business and property owners about encampments near roadways and neighborhoods. Click here to read more.