The City of Denton is taking the next step to reduce homelessness in the city.
The Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness helped to set up a shelter for people who don’t have a place to sleep, but it's only open when the temperature is below 32 degrees or above 100 degrees.
Monsignor King Outreach Center Executive Director Betty Kay said they plan to start raising funds next month to renovate the building and hire a full-time staff. She estimated it will be two to five years before the project is complete.
"It is a tough situation," Denton Mayor Chris Watts said. "It’s a balancing act, because these people are in great need and that’s one of the reasons why we’re trying to figure out ways that we can try to continue to improve our services to help them."
One of the biggest areas where the homeless gathered was at North Lakes Park. A city official said that area has been mostly cleared out, but there are still some tents there.
Watts said they have had some situations where people have been camping out on public property after 10 p.m., which the city doesn’t allow.
"We haven’t run across anyone that they’ve arrested," Watts said. "By the time that we stumble across them there’s nobody there."
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Watts said the Task Force on Homelessness is working with the Behavioral Health Leadership Team to identify housing needs for veterans and people with mental health issues.
"That’s a large part of the mental health population," he said. "So we’re trying to figure out a way how can we get a roof over their head, get them some shelter and services to improve their quality of life and get them to a point where they can move on a be more self-sustaining."
