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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
'Everybody sees it': City Council hears about the city's growing homelessness population
Wichita Falls City Council members spent the bulk of their meeting on Tuesday discussing the city's growing homelessness problem. The councilors heard a report from Dr. Louis Wilson, a local gastroenterologist, and Steve Sparks, CEO of Faith Mission, who have launched meetings with various agencies to address the problem. 'It's not your imagination, homelessness has been increasing dramatically,' Wilson said. 'Both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness has spiked. Everybody knows it, everybody sees it.' He said a big reason for the increase is migration. 'We're experiencing a situation where most of unsheltered homeless in Wichita Falls are not from Wichita Falls,' he said. Wilson said expertise on addressing the problem is not organized in one place but is scattered around the town in different agencies and is 'screaming for a gathering, screaming to be brought together.' He said the meetings produced a proposed a plan of action. It includes improved communications among agencies about homeless clients, expanding homeless people's access to mental health care, identifying gaps in emergency homelessness shelters and incentivizing people in housing programs to move out so that more housing vouchers can be available to those who need them. He also said homeless people have no place to go when they are discharged from medical facilities, and he suggested hiring case managers 'to move into the streets.' Sparks said, 'Frankly, the trends indicate that without some kind of attention the problems associated with homelessness will worsen.' He said the community must do everything it can to 'give men, women and children a shot at self-sufficiency.' 'What do you suggest that we do?' council member Tom Taylor said. Wilson said everything on the action plan list is 'doable.' 'We did not create pie-in-the-sky possible vague things,' Wilson said. 'These things can be checked off.' He listed emergency shelters as a top priority and said county and city leaders need to come together to address the problems. Amy Vail, property manager for Big Blue, The Kate and City Center Apartments, all in downtown Wichita Falls, said her tenants have a lot of involvement with police because of homeless people — sometimes multiple times a day. 'How can we move forward? How can we help our tenants?' she said. 'Ignoring them is probably the best bet,' Assistant City Attorney James McKechnie said. He said hiring private security would be another option. Vail also said homeless people loiter in a nearby park after dark, and she understands other cities are giving bus passes to homeless people to come to Wichita Falls. 'My tenants are scared,' she said. Jeremy Davis, director of the Museum of North Texas History and a downtown resident, said he had a physical altercation with a homeless person who tried to get into his building. 'I hear fighting, cussing, screaming, yelling at all hours of the day and night,' he said. "It's got to stop.' 'Unfortunately, the loitering and some of the destruction downtown has gotten worse,' Sparks said. 'Business leaders have come to my office on several occasions and complained about it.' McKechnie said the city will probably look at revising some ordinances that apply to homelessness. 'I sense the frustration. I feel it. I see it. We all do,' Mayor Tim Short said. 'That's why we're moving forward. Unfortunately, I think our ordinances have not kept up." 'The county stands ready to join with the city of Wichita Falls to take action and move forward on this,' Wichita County Judge Jim Johnson told the panel and suggested possibly forming a joint task force. More: Air Force releases report on fatal accident at Sheppard More: City Council agrees to loan local company $1 million for possible expansion This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: City councilors hear about the city's growing homelessness problem
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'Everybody sees it': City Council hears about the city's growing homelessness population
Wichita Falls City Council members spent the bulk of their meeting on Tuesday discussing the city's growing homelessness problem. The councilors heard a report from Dr. Louis Wilson, a local gastroenterologist, and Steve Sparks, CEO of Faith Mission, who have launched meetings with various agencies to address the problem. 'It's not your imagination, homelessness has been increasing dramatically,' Wilson said. 'Both sheltered and unsheltered homelessness has spiked. Everybody knows it, everybody sees it.' He said a big reason for the increase is migration. 'We're experiencing a situation where most of unsheltered homeless in Wichita Falls are not from Wichita Falls,' he said. Wilson said expertise on addressing the problem is not organized in one place but is scattered around the town in different agencies and is 'screaming for a gathering, screaming to be brought together.' He said the meetings produced a proposed a plan of action. It includes improved communications among agencies about homeless clients, expanding homeless people's access to mental health care, identifying gaps in emergency homelessness shelters and incentivizing people in housing programs to move out so that more housing vouchers can be available to those who need them. He also said homeless people have no place to go when they are discharged from medical facilities, and he suggested hiring case managers 'to move into the streets.' Sparks said, 'Frankly, the trends indicate that without some kind of attention the problems associated with homelessness will worsen.' He said the community must do everything it can to 'give men, women and children a shot at self-sufficiency.' 'What do you suggest that we do?' council member Tom Taylor said. Wilson said everything on the action plan list is 'doable.' 'We did not create pie-in-the-sky possible vague things,' Wilson said. 'These things can be checked off.' He listed emergency shelters as a top priority and said county and city leaders need to come together to address the problems. Amy Vail, property manager for Big Blue, The Kate and City Center Apartments, all in downtown Wichita Falls, said her tenants have a lot of involvement with police because of homeless people — sometimes multiple times a day. 'How can we move forward? How can we help our tenants?' she said. 'Ignoring them is probably the best bet,' Assistant City Attorney James McKechnie said. He said hiring private security would be another option. Vail also said homeless people loiter in a nearby park after dark, and she understands other cities are giving bus passes to homeless people to come to Wichita Falls. 'My tenants are scared,' she said. Jeremy Davis, director of the Museum of North Texas History and a downtown resident, said he had a physical altercation with a homeless person who tried to get into his building. 'I hear fighting, cussing, screaming, yelling at all hours of the day and night,' he said. "It's got to stop.' 'Unfortunately, the loitering and some of the destruction downtown has gotten worse,' Sparks said. 'Business leaders have come to my office on several occasions and complained about it.' McKechnie said the city will probably look at revising some ordinances that apply to homelessness. 'I sense the frustration. I feel it. I see it. We all do,' Mayor Tim Short said. 'That's why we're moving forward. Unfortunately, I think our ordinances have not kept up." 'The county stands ready to join with the city of Wichita Falls to take action and move forward on this,' Wichita County Judge Jim Johnson told the panel and suggested possibly forming a joint task force. More: Air Force releases report on fatal accident at Sheppard More: City Council agrees to loan local company $1 million for possible expansion This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: City councilors hear about the city's growing homelessness problem
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
United Market Street partners with Wichita Falls Faith Mission, donates 1,000 pairs of socks
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — As you can imagine, the Faith Mission always needs food and clothing donations, which rapidly increase during freezing temperatures like today. Thanks to Market Street and the customers who donated to this cause, the Faith Mission received one thousand pairs of socks that are going to go a long way for those at the Faith Mission. WALC celebrates 25 years of Book Fairs Boxes containing one thousand pairs of socks were loaded into the truck of Steve Sparks, CEO of the Wichita Falls Faith Mission, to be delivered to the mission's residents one by one. Sparks said this donation couldn't have come at a better time. 'Winter time is always a good time for us to have lots of winter gear and socks. It's, like I said, a staple. Everybody needs several pairs of socks because they walk everywhere they go, and they're they're on the move. And so we like to be able to have plenty,' Sparks said. Something that Regional Vice President for United Market Street Allen Smith said wouldn't be possible without the generous customers and partners. 'I mean, it's, you know, due to them that we're able to to give back to the community as we do in all of our, you know, different places throughout Texas, locally in New Mexico, as well. So, we're just excited to be part of this, rainier fruits, and also, Hanes have helped us donate this, you know, to our local mission, here in Wichita Falls,' Smith said. This is the seventh year United Market Street has partnered up with the Faith Mission for this drive, and Sparks says if you didn't have a chance to participate this year, there are still several ways you can help the Faith Mission all year long. 'They can come by faith mission, drop off socks. We've got a clothing ministry down on Lamar Street saying just drop off anytime they want to drop off there, and we'll make sure it gets in the right hands,' Sparks said. Along with any winter gear you can think of to help out those who may not get to end their day in a warm, cozy home like most of us. If you would like to make a donation to the Wichita Falls Faith Mission or would like to volunteer, click here. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
