North Texas

Denton County Effort to Help Homeless Receives Boost

Denton County's effort to help the homeless has received a critical boost.

The city of Denton says it has secured $600,000 grants for each of the next two years. The money will go to agencies which help homeless people find a safe place to live.

Advocates for the homeless say the funding is critical, because after years of receiving the emergency solution funding, Denton lost out on the competitive bidding process last year.

"To not have it is a really complicated situation," said Dani Shaw, Denton's Human Services Coordinator. "It makes it worse."

When people think of homelessness, Denton County isn't the first place to come to mind. According to an annual count taken in January, there were about 230 homeless people living in the county. Advocates know those numbers don't come close to reflecting the entire homeless population in the county.

"The reality is we have those persons in our community who are often impacted by homelessness," said Dani Johnson-Simpson, executive director of Denton County Friends of the Family.

The Corinth-based agency assists domestic violence victims, many of whom wind up homeless – or close to it.

"We know there is just this recurring theme that people need help," she said.

Shaw says Denton sees an average of 30 new homeless people or families each month. The funding makes up a significant part of homeless-related services in the community.

"We have a huge list of reasons as to why people become homeless," Shaw said. "So it's understanding how to address those, as well as helping people to find stability and housing that's accessible."

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