At a workshop on Tuesday, members of Killeen Town Council are expected to discuss drafting a mental health strategic plan related to homelessness.
“This is a months-long process that is part of the strategic plan for homelessness and mental health issues,” according to an October press release from the city. “Dr. Robert Marbut Jr. collected statistics on homelessness in Bell County. He also led focus groups and invited agencies from across the county to participate, including church groups, services, first responders and school districts.
Marbut presented his findings to Killeen Town Council on September 6, saying that with hundreds of people homeless every day in Killeen, that number could quadruple over the next five years if several government entities, agencies and non-profit organizations lucrative do not. Find a solution.
“You have an extremely high chronicle level,” Marbut said. “The average time people spend on the street is extremely high. You have a very high transient rate and a very high chronic number.
According to a preliminary study conducted as part of an inter-local agreement between Killeen and Temple town councils which paid him $100,000, Marbut found that nearly 16% of Killeen’s homeless population was born in the Bell County. Nearly 42% had a job in Bell County before becoming homeless, and nearly 65% began becoming homeless in Bell County.
In Killeen, the average age of homeless people is 47.6 years and they spend almost 13 years in homelessness. Just over 60% are men and nearly 19% are veterans.
“Your homelessness comes from Fort Hood,” Marbut told Killeen City Council. “That’s your number one problem. Ten thousand people are displaced, and only about 2,300 in any given year actually hit the VA system. You have about 7,500 people who are not on outplacement assistance or VA assistance.
Reducing homelessness primarily begins with addressing untreated mental health issues, substance abuse and domestic violence, according to a video released by the city in October.
Marbut said around 150 new people are made homeless in Killeen “every year Fort Hood is here”.
“It looks like you’re going to double that amount in five years…if you don’t make a change,” Marbut said. “It looks like the next doubling after that would be around 3.7 years. If changes aren’t made, you’ll probably be quadrupled in around nine years.
And those kinds of numbers could make Killeen “a destination town” for the homeless.
“Marbut conducted surveys to gather demographic data, as well as site visits and visits with agencies and stakeholders, including free health clinics,” the statement said. “Marbut has recently observed successfully run facilities that support homeless people, including The Bridge in Dallas, Haven for Hope in San Antonio, Community First Village in Austin, and Centex ARC (Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Center) in Temple.”
Additionally, the consultant is studying five cohorts of homeless groups in Bell County, including those in encampments, men, women, families, and those at risk of homelessness,” according to the release. “A final plan is to be completed and presented to the public and council by the end of its year.”
Agencies need to work together – not just next to each other – to provide more effective services for homeless people, Marbut said.
“You are 42.5% two years or less (in the street). Anyone in this two-year process, if they get a lot of treatment… (it’s) a really good thing you have going.
Marbus defines “chronicity” as the length of time people remain homeless. In Killeen, 23.1% remain homeless for two to five years. For five years or more, 34.4% remain homeless.
The city’s homelessness video is at youtu.be/X_HsTGfoHas.
On Tuesday, the council workshop is scheduled for 5 p.m. at City Hall, 101 N. College St.
