2018-2019 COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT

UNITED WAY OF TARRANT COUNTY

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT 2018–2019

un i t e dw aytarran t.org

UNITED WAY OF TARRANT COUNTY Dear Friends, United Way of Tarrant County is pleased to share our 2018-2019 Community Assessment with you. The assessment, made possible by a grant from the Sid Richardson Foundation, is the third and final phase of discovery in support of our new Strategic Plan, which we launched in the spring of 2018. The Strategic Plan introduced Systems Change, a new way for United Way of Tarrant County to lead and allocate resources geared toward not just managing social issues, but solving them for particular populations. This Community Assessment now provides us with a clear directive of where Systems Change funding is needed in our community and how our donors and the people of Tarrant County expect us to allocate resources.

Through our partnership with the University of North Texas Health Science Center, we conducted numerous interviews and focus groups with key informants. We also analyzed and extracted key findings from existing research and publicly available statistical indicators. We found five major areas needing significant investment: housing and homelessness; health, mental health and wellness; transportation; education/early childhood/youth; and basic needs, emergency assistance and financial stability.

While many of these issues are not new, the Community Assessment highlights how they are interconnected, how they compound challenges for residents and their quality of life and how the root of many of these chronic issues is poverty. As a result, United Way of Tarrant County will specifically target the issue of intergenerational poverty with an emphasis on addressing gaps in the five major areas.

The Community Assessment results also show the need for better communication, collaboration and coordination among social service organizations, government entities and the private sector. We believe it is our role and our responsibility as a steward of investments by donors to be a leader in convening resources and facilitating communication and collaboration. We take that role seriously. To that point, we are providing a full technical report of all the data collected and analyzed for the Community Assessment. The technical report can be found at www.unitedwaytarrant.org/communityassessment.

The 2018-2019 Community Assessment is a powerful tool for United Way of Tarrant County, our partners and the communities we serve. We hope you will take the time to read the report and learn about the social issues facing Tarrant County. We look forward to working with the community to fulfill our mission to provide leadership and harness resources to solve Tarrant County’s toughest social challenges.

Sincerely,

TD Smyers President and Chief Executive Officer United Way of Tarrant County

2

This community assessment was carried out by the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC) School of Public Health in partnership with the United Way of Tarrant County and community stakeholders.

The UNTHSC project team includes: Principal Investigator: Emily Spence-Almaguer, Ph.D., MSW Associate Dean for Community Engagement and Health Equity Project Director and Co-Investigator: Danielle Rohr, MS Senior Program Evaluation and Assessment Manager Co-Investigator: Karen Bell Morgan, Ph.D. Assistant Professor and MPH Program Director Graduate Research Assistants: Claire Deahl Brittney Sanderson Julia Aiken Emily Hardin Alice Miank Designed by

www.visualinfonomics.com

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

HOW DID WE ASSESS TARRANT COUNTY? METHODS

We used multiple strategies to gather information about the strengths, needs and concerns of Tarrant County residents.

PHASE ONE: PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DATA SOURCES We began by finding out what other organizations in our community have learned through their own assessment projects. This included a review of more than 20 existing assessment reports, most of which addressed special topics such as community health, behavioral health, criminal justice, education, transportation and economic development.

Next, we collected publicly available data that helped us better understand how Tarrant County has changed over time and how we compare to other regions. These data sets were gathered from national, state and local sources, including but not limited to: • United States Census and the American Community Survey • United States Bureau of Labor Statistics • Texas Education Agency • Texas Health and Human Services • Texas Department of Public Safety • Local school districts, health systems and municipalities • Dallas-Fort Worth Hospital Council Foundation • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

PHASE TWO: PERSPECTIVES FROM RESIDENTS AND COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS

research team. This resulted in over 4,000 passages, of which 2,309 identified perceived needs and issues of concern to Tarrant County stakeholders. Based on feedback gathered from existing data, key informant interviews and focus groups, United Way conducted a donor survey and provided a summary of findings, which also are included in this report.

HOW TO USE THIS REPORT

This report provides an overview of social issues facing residents of Tarrant County. It highlights what is going well, what needs to be improved, and what the community perceives about the role and influence of United Way of Tarrant County. This report is a brief summary of a large volume of data gathered for the assessment. Those who are interested in greater detail and other statistical indicators are invited to download our technical report, available at www.unitedwaytarrant.org/communityassessment.

Since this assessment uses multiple sources of data, each source comes with limitations. Feedback from interview participants cannot be generalized to the region as a whole, public statistical data may provide an incomplete picture of an issue or not be available at the region or frequency desired, and existing reports are generally designed to meet the needs of a specific set of stakeholders. Taken collectively, however, these different data sources offer multiple perspectives on key issues facing residents of Tarrant County.

This report is designed to stimulate dialogue about how to build on community strengths and generate solutions to problems that interfere with quality of life.

With support and assistance from United Way of Tarrant County and a large number of community organizations, we completed 25 key informant interviews and 20 focus group interviews. Lists of potential key informants were generated by staff from United Way of Tarrant County and supplemented by recommendations from other community stakeholders. The University of North Texas Health Science Center Institutional Review Board approved the human subjects research protocol for this phase of the Community Assessment. All 45 sessions were audio recorded and transcribed into text and demographic surveys were completed by the participants. The transcriptions were divided into distinct passages and coded by the UNTHSC

CONTENTS

We Are Tarrant County............ 4 Housing and Homelessness.... 6 Education................................. 8 Transportation....................... 10 Physical Health and Healthcare...................... 12 Mental and Behavioral Health...13 Basic Needs........................... 14 Financial Stability................. 15 Workforce Development and Employment................... 16

Built Environment.................. 17 Safe Communities................. 18 Community Relationships.... 19 Strengthening Systems Through Collaboration, Coordination and Community Planning................................. 20 Tarrant County Strengths..... 21 Where to go next?................. 22 Who did we talk to?............... 23 Acknowledgments................ 24

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

3

WE ARE TARRANT COUNTY

W

DID YOU KNOW?

ith an estimated population of more than 2 million people, Tarrant County is growing rapidly, having gained 237,058 new residents since 2010.1 It is the third most populous county in Texas and the 16th largest in the United States. Like other counties in the metropolitan area, it is attractive to new residents and businesses because of its cost of living, quality of life, economic potential and cultural offerings.2

Tarrant County is part of the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States.

0.3%

50+2813421

2.1%

The county is racially and ethnically diverse, with a growing population of Hispanic residents. Languages other than English are spoken by 27% of households, with one in five speaking Spanish.3 Among adults 25 and older, the vast majority hold a high school diploma or equivalency (85%), and 21% have a bachelor’s degree or higher.4 Tarrant County is also home to an estimated 110,560 U.S. military veterans.

Full-time, year-round workers earn a median wage of $46,091 per year.5 Approximately 12% of families in Tarrant County and 19% of children are living below poverty level.6

American Indian and Alaskan Native Non-Hispanic

Multiracial

5.0% 15.3% Asian

Black/African American Non-Hispanic

POPULATION

BY RACE

27.8%

Hispanic of any race

TARRANT COUNTY POPULATION GROWTH, 2010-2017

3

RD

16

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

0.1% Other

49.2%

White Non-Hispanic

2,054,475

2,021,746

13%

TH

0.2%

most populous

largest county

increase in population

county in Texas

in the U.S.

from 2010 to 2017

1,983,642 1,945,378

1,913,133 1,882,399

1,847,875 1,817,417

1,800,000

4

2010

2011

2012

2013

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

2014

2015

2016

2017

TARRANT COUNTY: AN OVERVIEW OF KEY ISSUES To identify the major issues affecting the lives of Tarrant County residents, the research team analyzed and extracted key findings from existing community assessment reports, publicly available statistical indicators, and transcriptions of key informant and focus group interviews. These were compared against one another to find areas of alignment. Details offered by interview participants helped to illuminate and provide context for statistical indicators. When analyzing indicators, the research team considered several dimensions, including trends over time, comparisons to other communities, state and national averages, rates based on population size and whether or not there were disparities among subgroups.

TOP IDENTIFIED ISSUES Housing and Homelessness

Health, Mental Health and Wellness Transportation Education, Early Childhood and Youth Basic Needs, Emergency Assistance and Financial Stability

United Way donor survey

Key informant interviews Proposed solutions Strengths

Concerns

Analysis of publicly available data Focus group interviews Trends Review of existing assessments

The major areas of concern are likely not a surprise to residents of Tarrant County, as these issues arose with great frequency during interviews. The issues also are in existing community reports and associated with compelling statistical indicators. Furthermore, these issues are entangled with one another, compounding challenges for residents who are trying to improve quality of life for themselves and their families. The lack of affordable housing leads many families to live paycheck to paycheck, unable to weather financial crises and relying on social service providers to meet basic needs. Employment opportunities that could increase financial stability may not be reachable by public transit, and for individuals living near the poverty level, public transit is not affordable. Going without needed health and mental healthcare also limits people’s independence and capacity to pursue better educational and employment opportunities.

COMMUNITY VOICES “[What is needed?] I would say ... affordable — no cost, or affordable — vocational training. And I know I sound like a broken record, but that getting a job at a living wage is the key to some of these issues that we’re talking about … because if you can get a job at a living wage and can afford a car, well then you can meet your housing and your transportation needs ideally.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

“… it’s all so connected. The root issue is poverty, I believe. And one of the things ... I want to make sure I’m clear about is the need for living-wage jobs and often training has to go alongside that … but I think that really poverty is the underlying issue that drives all of these issues, obviously. So … I think we need pathways to help people get out of poverty. Living-wage jobs and affordable housing are probably the top two, I would say.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

5

HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS NEED FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING

A

ffordable housing in Tarrant County is increasingly difficult to find. Housing prices continue to rise and the median home purchase price was approximately $228,000 in 2018.7 A balanced housing market has about 6.5 months of inventory; however, Tarrant County has had less than 2.5 months of inventory since late 2015.8 Home ownership in Tarrant County (60.4%) is also lower than the national average (63.6%), despite median property values in Tarrant County being $36,500 less than the national average.9

MEDIAN PROPERTY VALUE $205,000

$210,000 $187,500 $165,000 $142,500

$194,500 $181,200

$173,900

$172,500

$160,600

$152,700

$168,500

$153,200 $161,500

$145,200

$138,800

$189,100

$152,000 $139,600

$120,000

$132,000 2013

2014

2015

2016

United States

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington Metro

Texas

Tarrant County

HOUSING COST

$1,200

Median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in 2018.10 The need for more affordable housing was often brought up in interviews with community members. One Tarrant County resident explained: “When I started looking for a place, the places I could afford I couldn't get in because I didn’t make three times the rent. But the places that were over my limit were more lenient as far as acceptance to get me in. The places I could afford were too far from my daughter’s school, so I would have to figure out how to get her to school.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

115 HOURS A WEEK

is the amount someone earning minimum wage would have to work to afford rent and living expenses.

HOMELESSNESS AND THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING Not everyone has the same options when it comes to housing. More than one in five (23%) Tarrant County families earn less than $35,000, making housing unaffordable for over 100,000 families.12 In Tarrant County in 2018, more than 2,000 people were included in the homeless population point-in-time count, and an individual is homeless for seven months, on average, before finding permanent housing.13 The count reflects a 5% increase in homelessness between 2017 and 2018. Affordable housing and homelessness impact a diversity of people: veterans, children, seniors, families, trauma survivors and people experiencing mental and physical disabilities.

The overwhelming majority of people experiencing homelessness reported that sudden unemployment and their inability to pay rent were the primary causes of their housing loss.

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United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

$45,285 ANNUALLY After-tax family income needed for two adults and a child.11

DID YOU KNOW? Tarrant County Homeless Coalition has partnered with over 40 organizations in the community to provide care to people experiencing homelessness.

Their Housing Crisis System of Care delivered services to over 19,000 people in 2017.

HOMELESSNESS IN TARRANT COUNTY An abundance of organizations work together to address homelessness in our Tarrant and Parker County Continuum of Care. Over the past several years, community leaders have emphasized the quick return from homelessness to permanent housing and the importance of building the supply of affordable housing.

According to the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition: The housing math for extremely low-income families in our community simply does not work. With only 19 housing units for 100 households, we will continue to incur the extraordinary costs of homelessness (economic, social and individual) if we do not focus and go to scale on increasing the supply of affordable housing. Worse, the longer we wait, the more the cost of the solution will grow.13

Point-in-Time Count — people identified as homeless in Tarrant County and Parker County each January

2017 1,912 2018

2,007

6,701 INDIVIDUALS

classified as homeless at any time during the prior year in the Continuum of Care in Tarrant County and Parker County13

WHO IS AT RISK IN TARRANT COUNTY? Seniors

Children14-15

The number of homeless seniors has largely increased over the last decade because of growing poverty rates among older adults and the declining availability of affordable housing.

Our interview participants were often concerned about the lack of affordable senior living facilities in the Tarrant County area. Participants also described a critical need for affordable memory care facilities.

In 2014-2015 there were 7,709 children counted as homeless in school districts in Tarrant County.

• In Texas, homeless students score 10-15% below all other students.

• One in four homeless youth is at high risk for human trafficking.

• They are at 5 times the risk of dropping out of school.

• They are more likely to interact with the criminal justice system for crimes intertwined with homelessness, including “survival sex.”

Veterans The Tarrant County Homeless Coalition reports that for every 100 people experiencing homelessness in our community, eight of those are veterans.13 Nationwide, over 10% of those experiencing homelessness are veterans.

Recently Unemployed Unemployment is consistently identified as the number one cause of homelessness by unsheltered individuals who are surveyed during the point-in-time count.13 Families earning low wages are at particular risk of being unable to weather periods of unemployment.

Victims of Domestic Violence Finding safety while fleeing domestic violence is a complex issue that is exacerbated by concerns over safety, health and financial resources. For many people, leaving their abuser is only the first step toward recovering from the trauma and many such people find themselves without shelter.

“You can’t solve early childhood homelessness without solving affordable housing.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

Families Without an Emergency Fund Many different misfortunes that accumulate can realistically result in homelessness for any family. Depleting savings to fix a family vehicle, stay on top of bills or pay for a medical emergency could result in eviction if a family’s emergency fund is insufficient to cover the costs. The University of Notre Dame released a study that found that providing $720 of emergency financial assistance can save individuals from homelessness — and save the community money in the long run too.16

Behavioral Health Mental health and substance use disorders can both precede and be exacerbated by homelessness. In 2018, 18% of individuals counted as homeless were identified as severely mentally ill and 11% were reported to have chronic substance use disorders.13

18%

OF PEOPLE WHO WERE HOMELESS IN 2018 EXPERIENCED SEVERE MENTAL ILLNESS

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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EDUCATION CHILDCARE

The ability to access affordable, high-quality childcare is necessary for parents and their children. Parents who have access to dependable, high-quality childcare resources can gain and maintain employment, while their children are provided with educational opportunities that will allow them to enter school kindergarten ready.

Average Monthly Cost of Childcare for One Child in Tarrant County19 $850.92 $794.64 Childcare is a large expense for many families with young children. Subsidized childcare exists but is limited in availability.

In the following map, a subsidized childcare desert is defined as a ZIP code of at least 30 children, ages 0-5, with working parents living below 200% of the federal poverty level and in need of childcare.18

$772.80 $675.08

Infant

Toddler

Pre-schooler School-aged child

“We don't have nearly enough subsidized childcare. The vast majority of people who need subsidized childcare, who are eligible for it, don’t get it. And that really increases the rate of poverty for families that have children under the age of 5, particularly singlemother households with children under the age of 5.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “To keep your job, you need childcare!”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

8

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

AN EMPHASIS ON READING

Students who do not read on grade level by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of school.20 According to Read Fort Worth, only 33% of Fort Worth Independent School District (FWISD) third graders were reading on grade level and community leaders recognized the long-term economic and social risks this posed for Tarrant County.21 Read Fort Worth is an innovative initiative supported by the FWISD, the City of Fort Worth and key stakeholders in business, philanthropy and nonprofit sectors.

People throughout the county are excited about the program and many expressed interest in seeing it expand outside of Fort Worth.

Rates of 3rd-grade reading proficiency22

“If we can get a child grade ready by the time they show up for kindergarten, their trajectory is dramatically different from that of a child who comes in and they’re behind from day one.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

Tarrant County, non-economically disadvantaged students

SECONDARY EDUCATION AND BEYOND

year.23 This matches the Texas graduation rate and is better than the national average high school graduation rate of 84%.24 Approximately 13.8% of 18- to 24-year-olds in Tarrant County do not have a high school diploma. Thirty percent have a high school diploma and 46% have some college education or an associate degree.25

With every increase in educational attainment, earnings grow.

In 2017, the average Tarrant County resident with a bachelor’s degree earned more than twice what someone who lacked a high school diploma or GED earned.5

Tarrant County Median Annual Income 2017

$70,278

$54,752

$24,042

Less than high school graduate

$30,917

$38,801

High school Some college graduate or associate (includes degree equivalency)

Bachelor’s degree

Graduate or professional degree

This demonstrates that education is essential for individuals and households to be financially stable and essential to support a strong economy. Almost 90% of students in Tarrant County graduated from high school in four years, for the 2015-2016 school

59+41

DID YOU KNOW?

Fifty-nine percent of students in the Education Service Center Region XI, which includes Tarrant County, met the criteria for college readiness in both English language arts and mathematics.27

59%

Tarrant County (overall)

43%

41%

Texas

Tarrant County, economically disadvantaged students

32%

58%

One in five high school graduates in Tarrant County (20.3%), in 20142015, enrolled in a Texas public four-year university.

Another 29.5% of high school graduates in Tarrant County enrolled in Texas public two-year colleges that same year.26 “I think that focusing on education and making sure that we are preparing young people for the workplace of the future, that is a very high priority in my mind.” — Key Informant Interview Participant “Just two years and the automotive people and the HVAC tech people are coming, but we can hardly get them out of the classroom graduated, and they’ve already got jobs.” — Key Informant Interview Participant EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOLS Tarrant County College District has partnered with Fort Worth, Arlington, Mansfield, Everman, Grapevine-Colleyville and Crowley Independent School Districts to offer Early College High School (ECHS) programs to more than 3,000 students. These programs allow students to graduate with both a high school diploma and an associate degree.28

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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Altamesa

Oa

25

Horton

Cardinal Ridge

wy

St ord erf St ath We 1st

W

Burnett St

66x

VA Clinic

10 10

28

ine okl Bro Algerita

Oak Hill

y

Pk

Tarrant County Courthouse

St

ke

5a

Savag

Hw

in nkl Fra

61x 65x 66x

St

St

La

ield

Joe B. Rushing

er

Franklin St

Lake Arlington Tarrant County College Trinity River

Wilbarger

St

ail

nsf

15

Grayson Montague

820

ar Lam

Hulen

Tr

Ma

3 5b

JPS

35W

Sharondale Edne

y Hamsted

Alcannon

Goodwill

25

rk

Resource Connection

nd

Kell

ne

DOWNTOWN FORT WORTH

Dowdell

n rso nde He

6

Pa

Elizabeth

N

ry

Dept. of Transportation

e

er

Church

er

l

46

Martin

Ra

21

22

t

Ve

9

W

FedEx

ill

Tarrant County College Opportunity Center

E Berry

9

lM

Lisa

Pio

Burton Norris Richardson

Turner

Meadowcrest

St

nd

bu

gat

rt

cast

ol

Eastchase Market

Beckwood

y St err Ch

Be

an

820

Wedgway

Ca

us

Ol

en

Gr

20

Kimberly

E Seminary

Felix

Greenbriar Rec. Ctr.

Southcrest

20

LA GRAN PLAZA TRANSFER CENTER

72

5a

mp

in

Westfield

Hammond Felix

Fuller

6

Flint

Beddell

SW Baptist Seminary

Ca

er

g

W Seminary

25

Bilglade Martin Lydon

ek

ild

ch

Harris

1

d

sh

st Cre

H

el W

llaire

Benbrook Lake

Hul

ba

an

Be

32

as W

25

Walmart Oakmont

Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital

uth

W Seminary

ry

Fitzhugh

25

Service to Dallas

Division

JPS

24

Norma

t net Bur

bu

m

377

an

or

Ivanhoe South

Gr

Robinhood

20 Maceo

Dunbar HS

4

Hardeman

Knox Martin

28

Grand River Rd

TRE Station

111

Meadowbrook

on ort km roc Th r St Taylo

So

South Heywood

ay

G

32

lw

E Lan

E Rosedale Eisenhower

nd

Sam’s

Brentwood Stair

Craig

Howard

5b

Pecos

B

Beaty

20

St

an

field

Gardenia Rodeo

ide

22

Craig

ylor Ta

hit

Riv ers

k

N

m

Ga W

Barwick

Timberline Hunting

Clearview

820

Har

4

COOL Library

Chapman

Richardson Reed

Wilbarger

Rd

Meadowbrook

Brentwood Stair Madeira Monterrey

St

In

rton

E Butler

ar

Strong

Eastland

y

BELL 4

Trinity

White John T

21 22

Anderson Walmart

Ederville

Ederville

in N Ma

ve

Ridge

5a

Bolt

Willie

E. Berry Library

287

Childress Wilbarger Collin

Mecca

Fairway

d

on

Annabelle Glencrest

3

Seminary South Library

Drew

ghn

Hardeman

Lomita

oo

ert Ov

We

Timbercreek

O

18 HULEN MALL TRANSFER CENTER

iew

Pafford

Bolt

Eastland Vau

Glen Garden Mit che ll

w

rv

Dickson

5a

5b

Annglenn Stephen Lee

ne

ve

Trail Lake

Ri

River Bend

rk

Ripy

28 Walmart

Northglen

Briardale

Vi

820

Savannah

ring

Windward

20 o

Pa

Ripy

e

M

Montague

24

SIERRA VISTA TRANSFER CENTER

Calumet

22

Ellis

89

Little John

Reed

Brentwood Stair

Jaqueline

Ramey

E Berry

26

S Berry

E Berry

Sha w

Ave J

Ave M

24

Renaissaince Sq

30

Meadowbrook Library

E Rosedale Ave G

John T White

Isham

Brentwood

E Lancaster

Ra

Kuban

20

Meadowbrook

22

Lowery

Sandybrook

20 21

Ravenwood

Martha

9

Fitzhugh E Berry

n

Stair

en dhav

o

Glen Garden

er alv

Brent

wood

Barnett Wilson

Normandy

East Regional Library

Woo

ant

dg

65x 66x

Lowden

Shaw

Biddison

23 21 20

St

N Littlejohn S Littlejohn

Bideker

Colvin

Kemble

4

Ave L

.

ac

ll

s

Dryden

Enc

SW Regional Library

Ri

W Berry

Mulkey

5b

Mil

Bridge

25

Ave E

Ave H Ave J Ave N

Powell

Jessamine

dol

Boca Raton

North Hampshire

Texas Wesleyan University

we

Remington College

od

d

7

South Hills

Cantey

Devitt Shaw Orange

JPS Richmond

om

C

Ne

h Wo

Ranch View

w

Lowden

24

Mission

ld

3

Arlington

5

E Rosedale

4 sf ie

pl

AM

Pebble

Jack

Hig

s En

illo

Devitt

Man

ville

nd

gW

W Berry

Benbrook Biddison

d

Hampshire

CentrePort/ DFW Airport Station Hurst

ity Blvd

East Loop

Di

PM

Statler Blvd

360 Hurst

RICHLAND HILLS

l

Granite Shoals

89

60x

ter

9

287 Ol

Maddox Jefferson

5a

Morningside

cas

Redbud

Crestview

Trin

PM Trinity Blvd

Trinity Blvd

23 820

AM

Randoll Mill

Menzer

EAST FORT WORTH TRANSFER CENTER

Meadowbrook Purington

Vickery

sh

rin

Texas Christian University 37

Bellaire N Kent

14 89

Terrell

35W

McPherson

Berry

ry

Allen

Cantey

21

Na

Bellaire

Country Day

Mercedes

F

Sp

S

E Lancaster

60x

ke

Shamblee Library

JPS

Park Hill

7

Hartwood

laire

25

183

lea ub dg Cl Ri tr y un

ity

Bend

La

h

32

ac

nb

k Trin

65x 66x

5 Rosedale

4

Kathryn

183

Rd

23

Barnett

Scott

E Lan

Jessamine

Bel

Co

rook

22

Park Hill

Stonegate er

Hilde

Be

Aled

For

Magnolia

30

Hattie

9

16

Arlington

14

HURST

Park Place

Centre Station Blvd

West Loop

Svc

Sovereign Rd

rns

Randol Mill

Bridge

Calcutta

Pipeline

183

TRE Station

Bu

ess Expr

Be

20

ar

Harris Hospital 22 Cook Children’s Hospital

4

All Saints Hospital

Vic

Vickery

1

Pennsylvania

Cheryl

FAA Blvd

Midway

Ran

Lawnwood

Amon Carter Loop

183

Trinity Railway Express

Kings Oak

h

Central Workforce Center

Sylvania

3

Lancaster

61x

Fort Worth Zoo

ty

Trini

360

23

Jerry Jo

23

Latham

N

ek

Cle

er Riv

T&P STATION

Trinity Park

Finley

See Detail Map

Evans

Cre

dge

y

DOWNTOWN ITC

Riverside

tle

ker

ap

Pine Park

121

Walmart

4t

11

rs

ill Bat

Westri

Walmart Neighborhood Market

lkn

6

Oak Hill

)

Riv

lk

121

Pittsburg

3rd

38

y

ad Ro

Be

p na Maurice

ay Railw

be

erh Ov

y

ll

Vic

ker

ll To

arr

Stephenson

n

er Vick

27

Cumberland

y(

183

am

le

Vic

kw

Be

o

Bonnell

27

Chariot il P Tra olm is h

Parrish

Race

Ph

Ch

ayto

dd

32

Yucca

ny

Cl Mi

Libbey

JPS 27

Fernander

Edgehi

Valhalla Wycliff

k

Brants

n

Carnation

Race

r

y

Arnold

Dover

Place

Lower Birdville

in

est Willis

377

Library

toc

Manhattan

wa

11

Hw

Hovenkamp

Park

Stoneway N.

Springdale

ny

Mo

Ma

thw Davenport

Ro

uels

Sou

Gaston

BENBROOK

ods

Tarleton Wo State University Brants

rve

Mo

11

25

n

H

y

Midway

Hollis

12

10

30

am

14 Marigold

7th

7

9

5

so

10

I-30 Service Rd

Al

Sam

wie

42

Museum District

11

Botanic Garden

er

e

e

Baker Blvd

28th

4th

nd

vin

183

E 1st

15

2

Lancaster

6

25 Diaz Houghton

Houghton

Kilpatrick

Ca

e)

Bo

Diaz

LaGrave Field

tur

mp

32

Harley

El Campo

61x Donnelley

Donnelly

wie p Bo

Milburn ly Ridglea

e

(Fu

Ca

Kermit

Llano

820

Cam

2 ver Wa

ail

ron

E

Chapin

27

Calmont

Bryce

Curzon

Garland

Z Boaz

XR

a

26

2

Service Rd W

61x Curzon

26

Norman

Bangor

ma

an

Arbor

id

Super Target

23

7th

ell isk

er

Cim

nd rm

a z a Pk w y

Locke Rosewood Slocum

Arbor Doreen

Camp Bowie W Blvd

wie p Bo

ne

Dr

Ba Chapin Ca

Calmont

61x

26

26

tli

hs

o

Riverside Library

Cold Springs

taw

es

TE

oc

n

Ch

ol

Mojave

e

l

Cam

Cr

Byers El Campo

rk

da

le

19

2

2 da

Pa

an

Guadalupe

ep

le

De

rt

10

5th

40 Van Cliburn

Juneau

Western

o NN

rm

or

le rma n d a No

rc

y ile

oa

Westridge

Calmont

L a Palm a

Elsin

S

Pl

No

46

White Settlement

Ba

en

Halifa x

30

Linc

Monticello

ale

27

Scott

l

He

University of North Texas Health Science Center

RIDGMAR MALL TRANSFER CENTER

Western Hills

ra

ld

G

dsd

nt

ve

k

efie

y

White Settlement

4th

Lan

th

Ce

rth

y

Shamrock

91

Point

Hw

No

e Dri

Par

Edg

Baile

D

oro

Kimb

14

63x 64x

12

Ci 14

ksb

ood

WHITE SETTLEMENT

rk

Jac

Rockw

Naval Air Station Joint Reserve BaseWhite Settlement

White Settlement

Pa

NE 23rd

44

pe

in

Bell

na

WESTWORTH VILLAGE

Clifford

16

ra

HALTOM CITY

Chesser Boyer

35W

21st sid

G

ev

Norwood

en

46

Dewey

28th

Fort Worth Stockyards Exchange

th

Onyx South

ap

Centreport Dr

Sh

Ohio Garden

Crabtree Berner Bruce Highcrest

NW 26th

NW 21st

Northside Library

91

Lockheed

44

90

Webster

w

k

na

JPS

Walmart

NORTH SIDE Future TEXRail Station

29th

12 14

Gr

RICHLAND HILLS

JPS Diamond

31st 30th

Evergreen

ee

ih

15

n

Joy Lee

Standley

Bedford

Harmonson

Long

Long

90

28th

NORTH SIDE TRANSFER CENTER 91

NW 25th

Cedar Crest Diamond Oaks

l Cr

en

hr

am

Janetta

Glenview

ssi

W 29th W 28th

91

ee

12

35th

Harwood

la

Glenview

Fo

ef

Ep

Thurston

RIVER OAKS

en

36th

Stanley Keller

Big

Sh

M

37th

Long

Main

46

on

C Ri irc dg le e ff

820

W 31st

ng

le

tO

34th

90

gle

Lo

Az

Cu

th 17 th 16

rts

35th Long

to

Lo

Maplewood

Marilyn

360 Svc Rd

ac

st 21

be

rk

ie

Glenview

Hahn

820

NORTH RICHLAND Deville HILLS Briley

Buckingham Rd

M

rd

Ro

Pa

ac

en

es w Lak

Route 30 – CentrePort Circulator Detail

TCC Northeast Campus

Amon Carter Blvd

M

90

Meandering

C

om

23

y

th

ie

th

Hw

30 on

An

o

ns

D

ld

ado

360

e)

American Blvd

38th

ns

s

bi

O

tur

Riviera

Clay

N Beach

ee

es

Ro

Clint

Cr

dl

Lee Prospect gio Refu

ill

an

e

M

cC

College of HealthcareProfessionals Professionals Healthcare

Jasper

gle

Sa

M

35W

(Fu

29

Lewis

Me

Riviera

MERCANTILE CENTER

Terminal

ail

American Blvd

An

an

in

d

m

26

Ol

er

ra

ec

y

Sh

44

SANSOM PARK

Lo

eb ad

Navajo

Azle

Cowden Buchanan Landino Ja ck sb or

k

rd

Graham

ks

33

Qu Sh

Oa

11

Future TEXRail Station

XR

h

45

Helms Isabelle

46

Landmark Lakes

N Calhoun

199 Access

er NW Cent

McLean

d Loc

y

Apache

TE

Diamon

820

Meacham International Airport

Springlake

N Beach

Hw

Loop

NW

Meacham

12

De Ridder Alt am on t

Northern Cross

Mercantile

ro

44

820

121

11

Summerfields

Tanacross

hern Nort s Cros

12

Lebow

bo

NW

m

N Beach

Riverside

Azle ks

eau

Charbonn

Shadydell

Melody Hills

Sylvania

Jac

Lake Worth

Lakeside

Pkwy

Meacham

820

Loop

Northeast

Mobile

LAKE WORTH

199

Sea Breeze

lto

ek

820

Airway

Marine Creek Reservoir

Springtide

Future TEXRail Station

Future TEXRail Station

Old Decatur

John's Way

sil Cre

W Vickery Blvd

4

1

E Vickery Blvd

6

7

5 9

14

31 This Trinity shows bolded lines Transfer where public transportation routes are Centers Points of Interest Metro transit map available in Tarrant County. Note the large geographic areas with no routes within walking distance in the southwest and northeast regions of the county.

Route / Grid Reference

23

Montgomery Plaza

2, 7, 10

D3

D3

24

Near Southside Area/Hospital Dist.

1, 4, 5, 6

D3, D4

*

25

Panther Island Pavillion

10, 15, 46

D3

C7

26

Renaissance Square

24, 28

E5

2, 7

D3

27

Ridgmar Mall

2, 26, 27, 61x, 91

25

D2

28

Sundance Square

1, 15, 46, Molly

Route / Grid Reference

Alliance Town Center

11

2

Amon Carter Museum

2, 7

3

Bass Performance Hall

Molly

4

Bell Helicopter

TRE, 111

5

Casa Manana Theater

6

Chapel Hill Shopping Center

7

DFW Airport

Trinity Railway Express

8

Service to Dallas

Trinity Railway Express

9

Farrington Field

7

10

Forth Worth Botanic Garden

7

11

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

2, 7

12

Fort Worth City Hall

1, 10, 46, Molly

13

Fort Worth Convention Center

1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14, Molly

1, 5a, 25, 72

LaGrave Field

15

22

Log Cabin Village

7

Park and Ride Locations Route / Grid Reference

10, 15, 46, 61x, 65x, 66x

TCC’s Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics at Alliance Airport (Hadley CEATL)

63x, 64x

36

Texas A&M School of Law

2, 3, 89, Molly

37

Texas Christian University

7, 24

E3

38

Trinity Park

7

D3

* * *

C3

D3, E3 *

F2

D3 E4

C3 E3

66x Candleridge/Altamesa Xpress

F3

66x Candleridge/Altamesa Xpress

F2

ST. BARTHOLOMEW CATHOLIC CHURCH 3601 Altamesa Blvd.

66x Candleridge/Altamesa Xpress

F3

WESTERN HILLS METHODIST CHURCH 2820 LAREDO DR.

61x Normandale Xpress

D1

E4

* *

EAST FORT WORTH TRANSFER CENTER E

LANCASTER

39

University of North Texas – Denton

64

Inset

UNT Health Science Center

2

D3

41

UTA Fort Worth

2, 3, 89, Molly

42

Will Rogers Memorial Center

2, 7

*

D3

* See Downtown Fort Worth inset

HULEN MALL Sears

22

89 (east)

21

25

89 (west)

NORTH SIDE TRANSFER CENTER

Route / Grid Reference

SOUTH PARK & RIDE I-35 at Alsbury Exit 351 E Alsbury Blvd.

65x South Park & Ride Xpress

F4

RIDGMAR MALL I-30 at Green Oaks 1888 Green Oaks Rd.

61x Normandale Xpress

D1

NORTH PARK & RIDE Southbound I-35 Service Rd. (south of Golden Triangle) 10157 North Freeway

63x North Park & Ride Xpress 64x North Texas Xpress

LA GRAN PLAZA TRANSFER CENTER MA LL RIN G

HULEN MALL TRANSFER CENTER

AV E

*

OV

ER

6, 25, 32

TO

N

RI

D

G

E

B

LV

60x

EDGE PARK METHODIST CHURCH 5616 Crowley Rd.

Focus group and key informant interview participants described the barriers they faced, including the cost of bus fares, limited bus pass assistance from social service providers, long commute time to work or medical services and lack of reliable shelter at bus stops. The inability to get to employment opportunities, work or school also was a chief concern.

F5

Inset

40

Location

ALTAMESA CHURCH OF CHRIST 4600 Altamesa Blvd.

“… we have a deplorable lack of public transportation. People who don't own a car or can't afford a car, they are really trapped in the lowest levels of income because they can't get to work.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

D1

to a credit card, debit card or pre-paid card. Milo the self-driving cars in Arlington are free but only serve a limited area in the entertainment district. Tarrant County College and the Trinity Metro are now offering free transportation to students to connect them to other campuses and the larger transit system.

Other community organizations, such as Catholic Charities of Fort Worth, also provide limited transportation for qualified individuals.

3 S Riverside/TCC S. Campus (M - Sat), 5b Evans Ave. (M - Sat), 8 Riverside/Evans (Sun Only), 24 Berry St. (M - Sun)

MALL ENTR ANCE RD

2, 7

La Gran Plaza Mall

21

10, 15, 46

Tarrant County Courthouse

35

2 Camp Bowie (M - Sun), 26 Ridgmar Mall/Normandale (M - Sun), 27 Como (M - Sun), 61x Normandale Xpress (M - Fri), 91 Ridgmar Mall/Stockyards (M - Sun)

Sierra Vista Transfer Center 1500 E. Berry St.

ST

Kimbell Art Museum

20

67x

Tarrant County College Trinity River

34

Ridgmar Mall Transfer Center 2600 Mall Circle

5a

RD

MALL PA R K I N G

72

1

25

N

19

Tarrant County College Southeast

33

F3

D

LE

6, 25, 32

32

D3

1 Hemphill (M - Sun), 5a Evans Ave. (M - Sat), 25 Crosstown (M - Sun), 72 Hemphill/Sycamore School Rd. (M - Sat)

U

2

Hulen Mall

D3

La Gran Plaza Transfer Center 4200 South Fwy.

C3

H

Trinity Metro Customer Service Center

18

F5

E . S E M I N A RY D R I V E

S

17

B2

RIDGMAR MALL TRANSFER CENTER

SIERRA VISTA TRANSFER CENTER E B E R RY STR E ET

N W 26TH ST

A3

45, 91 14, 44

RIDGMAR MALL

2, 26, 27, 61x, 91 R

7

B6

3, 5a, 5b

F2

12 15

CI

Fort Worth Zoo

23

44, 45

Tarrant County College South

6 8th Ave/McCart/Hulen Mall (M - Sun), 25 Crosstown (M - Sun), 32 Bryant Irvin (M - Sat)

MALL

16

Tarrant County College Northeast

Tarrant County College Northwest

31

Hulen Mall Transfer Center 4942 S Hulen St.

Route / Grid Reference

North Side 12 Samuels/Mercantile Center (M - Sun), 14 Sylvania\NE Transfer Center 28th (M - Sun), 15 Stockyards/North Main (M - Sun), 2500 N Houston St. 44 Central/Azle Ave (M - Sun), 45 TCC Northwest/Angle Ave (M- Sun), 91 Ridgmar Mall/Stockyards (M - Sun)

GREEN O AKS RD

1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 14, Molly 12, 14, 15, 45, 91

*

29

30

D5

N HOU STON ST

Fort Worth Water Gardens

Fort Worth Historic Stockyards

D1

– –

D3

Location

Route / Grid Reference

East Fort Worth 21 Boca Raton (M - Sun), 89 SPUR/East Lancaster (M - Sun) Transfer Center 22 Meadowbrook (M - Sun), 4104 E Lancaster Av. 25 Crosstown (M - Sun) 60x Eastside Xpress (M - Fri)

S SA RG E NT ST

14

15

Location

Location

Point of Interest

Inset

Point of Interest

1

A

114 DFW AIRPORT TERMINAL A/B Future TEXRail

Service to DFW International Airport

N Tarrant Watauga

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS/ IRON HORSE

Pkwy Marine Creek

Tarrant 44 County 45 College Northwest Basswood

Fos

DFW AIRPORT NORTH Future TEXRail

GRAPEVINE/MAIN ST Future TEXRail

WATAUGA NORTH RICHLAND HILLS/ SMITHFIELD

Thompson Ha Silver Sage

Fossil Creek

Heritage Trace Pkwy

NW College

30

N

Her

1

Alliance Town Center

a ze l

35E

63x 64x

63x 64x

Other Cities/Municipalities

26 61x

N Texas

35W

121

Basswood i t a g e Tr ace

wood

W inter H

gstraw

114

Western Center

North Park & Ride

Hospitals & JPS Health Centers

West

B ass

Dogwood Lon

University of North Texas

Golden Triangle Blvd

College / University

B

Basswood

39

ch Bea

Pkwy age rit He

Alliance Opportunity Center

Westport Pkwy

Point of interest see separate list for route information

Misty Ridge

University Village Shopping Center

64x

7

TEXRail Detail

Amador

N Riverside

63x 64x

Transfer Center

Scripture

Texas Health Presbyterian Park & Ride

35W

Alliance Corporate Training Center

Teal

Park & Ride see separate list for information

35W

W University

64x 63x

Svc.

35

I-35

TCC Hadley CEATL

Trinity Railway Express Line and Station Future TEXRail Line and Station

6

Route 11 – North Beach / Heritage Trace Detail

Grant Park Prewett

ta

Non Stop Service

5

11 North Beach/Heritage Trace See inset

11

Staghorn

Vis

Bus Route - Xpress/Limited

DENTON

Non-stop express service to Denton

64x

rk

# #

MAP NOT TO SCALE

Pepperbrush

Pa

Bus Route – up to every 30 minutes Bus Route - up to every 60 minutes

Thompson

Summerfields

63x 64x

Teal

# #

Route 64x - North Texas Xpress Detail

Riverside

A

Route 63x – North Park & Ride Xpress, Route 64x – North Texas Xpress Detail

Bus Route - up to every 15 minutes

4

63x North Park & Ride Xpress 64x North Texas Xpress Southbound I-35 Service Rd (south of Golden Triangle)

35E

#

Burnice

3

MAP KEY

Stalcup

2

Interviews with community members revealed consistent concerns about access to public transit options. Not all municipalities offer bus or train routes, and among those that do, there are large areas without bus stops. Families may spend hours each day walking to bus stops, waiting, and transferring routes to go to work, drop children off at childcare and pick up necessities.

5b

24 (east)

3, 8

24 (west)

“… it would be nice to get a monthly pass but you [have to] be a part of MHMR or something like that.” — Focus Group Interview Participant TEXAS HEALTH PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL DENTON PARK & RIDE 3000 I-35, Denton, TX 76201

64x North Texas Xpress

A4

WILLMON ST

PL A Z A P KW

Y

“Transportation, if you don't have money to get on a bus, how can you get somewhere?” — Focus Group Interview Participant “Bus tickets, we used to have a bus ticket program that was very helpful, and they discontinued that, and now it's a big problem.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

While some communities offer ride services, most of these require smart phones, credit cards or adequate financial resources to pay for them.

Some communities have begun to offer additional transportation services, which also have their own limitations.

Services like Alliance Link and Arlington’s Via prefer riders use their app, which requires a smartphone, and link their account

10

S Bonnie Brae St

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overing 902 square miles, it’s no surprise that transportation plays a major role in the lives of Tarrant County residents.

People access healthcare systems, employment, grocery stores, social and entertainment activities through highways and streets, and people with limited income, physical challenges and other barriers often find transportation to be at the crux of their frustrations in getting the goods and services they need. Transportation is an integral part of a person’s life — making safe, reliable and adequate transportation mechanisms vital to the health of communities. In Tarrant County, 4.52% of households do not have motor vehicles; this compares to 5.63% of households without vehicles in Texas.29 With an average work commute of 27 minutes,30 Tarrant County residents are spending substantial time and money on transportation costs to earn a living.

1

Beach

64x

Presbyterian Hospital

H i l lwood

University Village Shopping Center

Texas Health Presbyterian Park & Ride

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

BARRIERS TO ACCESSING HEALTHCARE Access to resources via public transportation is an important public health topic. Research has shown that in the United States, almost four million people do not get medical care because of transportation barriers,32 making it critical to provide an infrastructure that supports the ability to access care, particularly for vulnerable populations such as older adults and people with disabilities. Services exist that assist these groups in Tarrant County; however, there are still those who experience difficulties using medical transport services: “There are doctor appointments that I have to go to but I have to leave two to three hours early because I have to walk to JPS.” — Focus Group Interview Participant “To have to go all the way from your neighborhood to downtown to get access to any number of programs and facilities and stuff ends up being too difficult.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “Yes. I have patients who call and have to cancel appointments because they don’t have a ride or their car broke down and they have absolutely no way to get to us.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

LACK OF SAFE SHELTER Lack of adequate bus stop shelters was another consistent theme mentioned by participants. In a 2013 study conducted in Tarrant County, the researcher discussed the interconnectedness of the stress related to walking to medical appointments, the lack of bus stop shelters and infant mortality.33 The qualitative study examined this journey through the depiction of a pregnant mother who visited a medical clinic and then had to wait in the unprotected elements at a bus stop bench. Five years later, this remains an issue that was discussed by focus groups: “And there's not enough bus stops. Also, there's not enough benches and covers.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant “Some bus stops have nice-looking benches with an awning.

I’d welcome one.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

COST OF FUEL

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS

Focus group participants also brainstormed opportunities to remove barriers to accessing grocery stores and other social services because of either the lack of transportation or the inability to afford increased gas prices:

While participants voiced concerns regarding transportation, there was discussion about the strengths of systems working together to help remove transportation barriers:

“Gas vouchers — something like that. I've had lots of times where a client couldn't come because of gas, or they changed their counseling attendance from once a week to once every other week, because they just can't get here that often.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

“Well I was going to the emergency room so often, and staying in the hospital you know overnight, and they have a program … they put me on it … someone comes out to my house twice a week and they take my vitals to make sure I’m OK … MedStar, the ambulance, referred me to them … I needed to go to a doctor and … he said ‘I can get you a ride there’ ... he got on the phone and five minutes later I had a ride.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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PHYSICAL HEALTH AND HEALTHCARE

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very year the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsors county health rankings that draw on an array of statistical data sources. For 2018, Tarrant County ranked 32 in health outcomes and 72 in quality of life indicators among 242 ranked counties in Texas (top 13th and 30th percentiles in the state, respectively).34 While Tarrant County may fare better than most other Texas counties on health indicators, a substantial proportion of residents struggle with the causes and consequences of poor health:

21% are uninsured adults 16% report being in poor or fair health 11% report frequent physical distress 11% struggle with diabetes “Our asthma rates are impacted by the lack of affordable housing. When housing is substandard … whether it's roaches or infestation and the conditions that children are living in when they are two, three, four families to a home ... those kids have terrible problems with health, with lead exposure, with asthma and all kinds of diabetes and health issues.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

ACCESS TO CARE

Social, behavioral, environmental and economic conditions have a strong influence on health and are particularly concerning in Tarrant County.34 • • • • • • • • •

•

35% get insufficient sleep 29% are obese 24% are physically inactive 20% of children live in poverty 18% report severe housing problems 18% drink excessively 15% smoke 14% are disconnected youth 17% are food insecure and 8% have limited access to food Air pollution levels exceed state and national averages

DID YOU KNOW?

Almost 14% of the Medicare population in Tarrant County was diagnosed with dementia, which is notably higher than the national average of 9.9%.35 Alzheimer’s was the fifth-leading cause of death in Tarrant County,36 and Texas ranks second in the nation for Alzheimer’s-related deaths.37

Ratio of health providers

Among Texas counties with a population greater than one million people, Tarrant County ranks the worst in the ratio of residents to primary care providers, dentists and mental health providers.

There are 57 primary care physicians per 100,000 people in Tarrant County, which is much lower than the national average of 75 PCPs per 100,000.34 Concerns surrounding the physician shortage emerged in the interviews, including a need for Spanish-speaking physicians.

Primary care physician ratio

Dentist ratio

Mental health provider ratio 1370:1

Bexar

pop. 1,928,680

1224:1

638:1

1476:1

Dallas

pop. 2,574,984

1240:1

780:1

1749:1

Harris

pop. 4,589,928

1508:1

964:1

1758:1 1739:1

Tarrant

pop. 2,016,872

12

1000:1

“There are doctor appointments that I have to go to but I have to leave two to three hours early because I have to walk to JPS.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

STRENGTH: Despite the county’s shortage of health

“The seniors need help with their medication because their medication keeps going up, and up and up!”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

providers, health systems were identified as the fifth most common strength of the community during focus groups and key informant interviews. Interviewees described a combination of public and private systems, as well as smaller organizations that fill important gaps.

1181:1

Travis

pop. 1,199,323

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

420:1

1466:1

MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH

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n average, Tarrant County residents report spending about 3.5 days per month experiencing poor mental health, and more than 10% of residents report frequent mental distress.34 In 2016, this contributed to more than 365,000 hospital visits in the county related to mental health, substance misuse or both.38 Limited access to psychiatric care for both children and adults has been identified as a substantial concern by multiple community organizations.

With fewer than 100 behavioral health providers per 100,000 residents, the need for care greatly outpaces the supply.34 This problem is exacerbated for residents who are uninsured or underinsured and leads to high utilization of crisis services.

Assets: Despite the shortage of providers, a key strength is

As of 2018, Tarrant County has 26 facilities that provide substance use disorder services.41 Rehabilitation and detox services are difficult to access for some people, but the primary concern surrounding drug cessation was people following through with a rehabilitation program, only to return to the same community environment that negatively influenced those lifestyle choices.

“I was going through a really hard time, and I was actively crying, and it was really, really [hard] … I called [a health provider] and asked if I could talk to someone in mental health, and they said ‘We can get you in here to see someone in a month.’”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

the collaboration of more than 40 organizations through the Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County, which is recognized nationally for strategic initiatives to raise awareness, improve quality of care and promote workforce development.

“I just wanted somebody to talk to that would listen. And that first one I went to, they wanted to pawn me off to other ones and teach me skills at 64 years old. And I just want to talk and have somebody hear me.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

“This person here who is suffering from mental illness can become this person here: a contributing taxpayer, someone who contributes to the community in a healthy way.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“And so, it starts usually with the adults and then unfortunately usually translates down to the kids too ... there are some great substance use disorder faith-based places we can send people, and we do ... but, then again, you got a single mom and kids, and there’s no other support family around … and so, therefore, it makes it difficult … mental health and substance [use disorder] probably is the number one thing that I would say that we wish we had more resources for people to get better.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

About 3% of deaths (267) in Tarrant County in 2017 were from suicide.39 This reflects an upward trend over the past four years.

In the United States, suicide is the second-leading cause of death for individuals ages 10-34, and the overall suicide rate increased 28% between 1999 and 2016.40

973+

SUICIDE BY THE NUMBERS DEATHS

TARRANT COUNTY 2017

28%

3%

Age-Adjusted Death Rate from Suicide in Tarrant County42 Deaths per 100,000 population

of deaths (267) were due to suicide

12.1 12

11.75

2ND

the rate suicide

the rank of suicide

increased in the U.S.

as cause of death for

from 1999 to 2016.

individuals ages 10-34.

11.5

11.25

“[I] really am very concerned about the very long wait times and lack of resources for those with behavioral health issues.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

11

11.4

11.4

11.1 2011-2013

2012-2014

2013-2015

2014-2016

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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BASIC NEEDS

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Food Access by Census Tract45

eeding America43 defines hunger as the physical sensation of being without food, while food insecurity is the absence of available resources to acquire the necessary amount of food to provide healthy meals to a household. Food insecurity is often compounded by external issues, including social isolation, illness, access and financial insecurity. Low-income Tarrant County families who experience food insecurity may be put in a position where they have to choose between buying food for their families and paying their utility bill. One focus group participant described how she felt when she found herself in this position. She explained: “Ok, I had paid for the lights to come back on, but now I have to buy food for my kids. So, it’s like, now I have to figure out where am I going to get this food from and how am I going to ration it?”

— Focus Group Interview Participant Basic needs such as food, hygiene, electricity and clothing are occasionally overshadowed by larger concerns such as employment and education; however, they are critical parts of wellness. Food insecurity impacts physical health and educational achievement,44 subsequently affecting employment, mental health and community relations.

Census tracts with low access to healthy food

In 2015, over a quarter of the population in Tarrant County was reported to have had low access to a grocery store or supermarket and almost a tenth of the population was considered to be low income, with low access to a grocery store or supermarket.45 The food insecurity rate now exceeds 16% of the population, which is higher than both the Texas and nationwide rate.46

Food Insecurity Prevalence, 201646 Tarrant County

16.6 15.4

Hygiene, utility assistance and clothing also came up as critical basic needs throughout the interviews and focus groups. Among homeless focus group participants, access to consistent showers and laundry services was touted as critical to improving health and opportunities for employment. These concerns compound larger, more complex issues.

14

18.0

12.9

Food Insecurity %

“They have an ‘interview closet’ where you can go and get at least two outfits ... if you’re living a comfortable life, you forget that there are gaps in between getting the skills, getting a job and being able to show up on Monday, dressed, with your lunch ready to go.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

Nationwide

21.8 23.0

CRITICAL NEEDS

In summary, the four most critical basic needs to be addressed in Tarrant County are food, clothing, hygiene and utility assistance. By addressing these concerns, people will be better equipped to achieve financial independence, gainful employment and academic success.

Texas

Child Food Insecurity %

“I've been homeless a little over a year now, and the housing thing — I don’t even know where to begin on that as far as trying to get some assistance in that regard because a lot of the time they look at me and they think, ‘You’re a guy, you should be able to work.’ That’s true to an extent, but you know there’s a lot of things that I don’t have as far as taking a shower every day and being presentable to be able to go to work.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

FINANCIAL STABILITY

F

or a family of four in Tarrant County (two working adults and two children), both adults would need to earn at least $14.59 per hour to earn a living wage, requiring a pre-tax annual salary of $30,353 per adult.47 While this is feasible on some professional salaries, there are six employment sectors in Tarrant County where the typical annual wages fall below this value:48

Salary requirement: $30,353

Healthcare support

$26,168

Food preparation and serving

$20,008

Building grounds cleaning and maintenance

$22,673

Personal care and service

$19,578

Sales & related

$27,972

Farming, fishing and forestry

$23,391

“The ones that we see more are elderly and then families, just needing rental assistance or electricity or water, car payments … just not being able to get whatever it is. They almost always have a job.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

Based on U.S. American Community Survey data from 2016, these lower-wage employment sectors make up approximately 25% of our local workforce.49 For Tarrant County residents who are employed in low-wage professions or are living on a fixed income, being able to live within their means is a day-to-day challenge. A common theme from our focus group and key informant interviews was that the cost of housing, childcare and transportation left them with limited options to break away from living paycheck to paycheck.

A more desirable job might be located outside of bus routes or too far for unreliable vehicles and expensive gas. Rent for a safer home may cost more than 50% of their monthly earnings.

“A few months ago I got in a car accident. I got rear-ended and shoved into another vehicle, and it compressed my knee. So I’m out of work for a whole month, and my job takes a while to kick in before any of the pay because of the accident, and I didn’t get paid until I got back to work. So all of the bills are piling up and I’m talking to people and they’re like ‘Hey, contact these services, they have grants, they’ll help you’ because rent is coming and insurance bills. Bills, just the bills to live. And no one ever reached back out. And I made multiple calls and reached out multiple times, heard nothing … I have April’s bills on top of March’s bills. Our lives don’t get to stop. We have to keep going.” — Focus Group Interview Participant “The utility assistance is quite a wait. I know if you do it once, you have to wait a long time afterwards, but even initially there’s [a wait] for a first-timer.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

Top 10 Employment Sectors by Occupation in Tarrant County50

13.7%

Administrative

5.7%

Construction

11.1% Sales

5.3%

Production

11%

Management

4.8%

Business & Financial Operations

6%

Education, Training

4.3%

Transportation

5.8%

Food & Serving

3.7%

Material Moving

DID YOU KNOW?

The Communities Foundation of Texas has supported the Working Families Success Model, developed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Implemented by nine organizations in North Texas, this model includes an integration of employment services, income support and financial coaching.

Five municipalities in Tarrant County have passed ordinances to protect consumers through the regulation of payday lending:51 • Arlington • Grand Prairie • Bedford • Hurst • Euless

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND EMPLOYMENT WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT

Workforce development is defined as a process that serves dual functions: enabling individuals to acquire knowledge, skills and attitudes for gainful employment or improved work performance; and providing employers with an effective means to communicate and meet their demand for skills.52 The development of potential employees is critical with the ever-changing landscape of the job market. Having skilled workers who can meet these The North Central Texas demands can help relieve long-term region is home to unemployment rates in Tarrant 22 Fortune 500 County. Locally, there are numerous companies.53 agencies that serve residents and employers in Tarrant County to ensure a stronger workforce for local industries, including, but not limited to, Tarrant County College, Alliance Opportunity Center, the Women’s Center, The Ladder Alliance and Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County. Tarrant County is expected to have a 53% employment growth within the next 20 years,54 making it critical to continue strategic development efforts that prepare the local workforce to meet predicted industry demands in fields such as healthcare and technology.

DID YOU KNOW?

“Five major strategic areas stood out as playing a critical role in the future development of the North Central Texas region: education and workforce development; strengthening economic competitiveness, including business attraction and retention, in the global economy; fostering a climate and culture that promote entrepreneurship; maintaining and improving a robust transportation and public infrastructure; and maintaining and improving the quality of life that makes North Central Texas such a great place to live, work and raise a family.”

— North Central Texas Council of Governments54

EMPLOYMENT

Over the last five years, unemployment rates have continued to drop in the United States, Texas and Tarrant County.

Unemployment rates as of July 2018 were: United States (3.9%), Texas (4%) and Tarrant County (3.7%). Currently, in Tarrant County there is a total of 995,557 employees.55 Top employment industries in Tarrant County include retail and wholesale trade, healthcare and social services, financial activities, leisure and hospitality, construction, manufacturing, information technology, professional and business services, transportation and warehousing and education (public and private). Latest census information provides a perspective on employment firms located in Tarrant County and highlights the diversity of business ownership.57

Assets: Tarrant County Workforce Solutions is an example of an agency that has worked with employers and people to connect employment opportunities. This agency has served over 68,970 employers and has placed 3,701 ex-offenders in jobs. Companies have also provided funding to local school districts to develop future engineers and other STEM opportunities.56 Despite the hopeful outlook for Tarrant County employment opportunities, interview participants expressed concerns with barriers that get in the way of their self-sufficiency: “To keep your job you need childcare!”

— Focus Group Interview Participant “And then the jobs that do pay, they’re just not accessible. Probably lots of new jobs being created out in Alliance, but a lot of people can’t get to Alliance.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

Tarrant County Business Ownership Information57

Men-owned firms 89,352

Women-owned firms 66,250

Minority-owned firms 71,133

Non-minority-owned firms 96,361

Veteran-owned firms

16,470

Non-veteran-owned firms 149,220

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United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

BUILT ENVIRONMENT

F

ocus group and key informant interview participants frequently mentioned ways that the built environment influences quality of life in Tarrant County. Community environments contribute to and influence overall health and well-being, including unoccupied buildings, access to safe recreational spaces, proximity to grocery stores and other community spaces. The infrastructure of a county is the backbone that influences transportation needs, economic development and future investments. Leadership decisions can lead to the growth and advancement of infrastructure that helps make services available to the people within a county. To promote sustainable development, the Regional Transportation Council58 started the Sustainable Development Program in 2001 and since then has awarded $163 million toward the support of sustainable development throughout this region.

Threats: Challenges facing the community include relocating

Assets: Over the past several years, there have been

Interview participants also discussed the lack of equity in economic and community development and the need for deliberate community planning in areas that experience higher poverty to either keep communities where they are or to make better use of preexisting buildings that will also improve the community:

successful projects that incorporated good use of land and created friendly suburban and urban environments for the community. The Alliance District has seen strategic growth in real estate development, transportation, housing and other amenities. The Alliance District has also been cited as “a national model of successful business development.”59 In downtown Fort Worth, Sundance Square is seen as a city center that provides residents with entertainment, dining, shopping and residential communities.3 Magnolia Avenue, in Fort Worth’s Near Southside, was recognized by the American Planning Association as one of the 15 “Great Places” in America for 2018.60 In Arlington, the Parks and Recreation Department won the 2018 National Gold Medal Award for Parks and Recreation Management from the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration and the National Recreation and Park Association.61

businesses and an increase in population not matched with an increase in wages.59 As the region continues to grow, there is a need to develop the transportation system of roads and public transportation so that all residents have access to basic needs and services. Eleven ZIP codes within Tarrant County were defined as food deserts in 2013. Of these, four ZIP codes did not have any grocery stores.62 This problem persists today: “We are not inner-city, by any stretch of the imagination, but with the transition of the community and demographics, we experience challenges with food deserts and sourcing, and having some of the availability for the other things, to be honest with you, and then you’re back to transportation issues.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“You see the pockets that are going to be your communities of color, and in those pockets there just aren’t many resources. If you go to the southeast side and try and find a Target, it’s like, forget about it.” — Key Informant Interview Participant “Yeah like in Arlington, there was a supermarket that went out of business and turned into a high school. So you can turn those facilities, old and abandoned, turn those facilities into usable space for clients to live.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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SAFE COMMUNITIES

A

mong the five most populous counties in Texas, Tarrant County enjoys the lowest overall crime rate and property crimes steadily declined between 2013 and 2016.63

The majority of cases handled by the district attorney involve substance possession: There were 4,369 felony drug possession cases filed and possession of marijuana was the most common misdemeanor offense. Additionally, the district attorney reported 4,661 misdemeanor Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) and 553 felony DWI filings.64 Addressing issues such as substance use disorder requires specialized approaches that acknowledge the influence of poverty, mental health and other factors that impact human behavior. Key assets in Tarrant County are the networks of criminal justice and social service providers who are collaborating to promote successful re-entry into the community for those who have been arrested or incarcerated.

Asset: The Arlington-Mansfield area YMCA65 completed a survey of 1,299 residents in 2018 and reported that the most important areas of need related to youth were having “safe and secure community spaces” and opportunities to “build good character.”

“Who doesn't want to see people re-establishing themselves on a positive path? … even if we are the justice system that has a punitive element, the evidence is clear: You can use that same authority and power for redirection and not just punishment.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“Re-entry ... I think that we are doing a much better job in Tarrant County ... [in] the last eight years than we had been doing prior to that. In terms of being serious about helping people re-integrate into the community so there's not this revolving door of jail and prison.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

VIOLENCE, ABUSE, NEGLECT AND EXPLOITATION Despite Tarrant County’s relatively lower crime rate, some violent crimes increased from 2015 to 2016, including murder and rape. In 2016, there were 12,882 reports of family violence made to police departments in Tarrant County, and in 2017, the District Attorney’s office handled 10,723 cases involving victims of crime.66

328 POLICE OFFICERS PER 100,000 RESIDENTS Tarrant County has the lowest number of police officers (per capita) when compared to Dallas, Harris, and Bexar counties. Further, compared to the previous three counties, Tarrant County has the lowest crime and incarceration rate.

Child Abuse In 2017, Child Protective Services confirmed 6,132 allegations of child abuse and neglect in Tarrant County. Of these, 10% involved physical abuse, 7% involved sexual abuse and the remainder included other forms of neglect, emotional abuse and inadequate supervision.67

Asset: In 2017, 418 CASA volunteers donated 42,000 hours of their time (an equivalent of $1,013,880) and drove 260,000 miles to be a voice on behalf of abused children.68

DID YOU KNOW?

In 2017, Tarrant County’s District Attorney office created the Elder Financial Fraud Unit. Since its creation, 79 cases have been filed with the unit, many of which include multiple victims.

The unit’s members meet with seniors through community organizations and our law enforcement partners to educate them on how to protect themselves against this form of abuse.64

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“Tarrant County government has a workforce of approximately 4,000 employees, and approximately one-half are employed in criminal-justice related jobs. Tarrant County’s resident population is 1,849,815, with 5,854 police officers, which equates to 328 officers per 100,000 residents.”69

Human Trafficking The Tarrant County 5-Stones Taskforce70 was created to develop a network of government, community agencies and concerned individuals to end domestic sex trafficking of minors in Tarrant County. The taskforce supports the Fort Worth Police Department, partnering agencies and works to develop innovative and effective response strategies.

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIPS

A

paradox observed in focus groups and key informant interviews is the contrast between characterizing the community as friendly and compassionate, yet one that struggles with inequities, segregation and discrimination.

A City of Fort Worth Task Force on Race and Culture systematically reviewed issues of inequity in seven community domains. The vision articulated by the group is that: “Fort Worth will become a city that is inclusive, equitable, respectful, communal and compassionate.” — Task Force on Race and Culture,71 Onefortworth.org

A report released to the public in the fall of 2018 highlights key indicators of inequity in the community and makes specific recommendations for improvement. The report shows key race and ethnic disparities in residents’ sense of safety, economic security and health.71 Our focus group and key informant interview results align with the findings of the task force; in Tarrant County, not all groups feel safe, included or treated fairly. The following interview quotes portray the county’s relational paradox.

FRIENDLY AND COMPASSIONATE

INEQUITY AND EXCLUSION

“It is a very friendly place to live, very welcoming. It is a community that, you don’t have to be from here, but if you come here and demonstrate a commitment to this community, people embrace you.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“We have to get away from the silos that we have and work on racial equity from the standpoint of there’s a focus on the ‘all’ when it comes to Fort Worth and Tarrant County. And not just the beautified spots or people who are already in the economic system and being a part of it.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“I love the atmosphere. The people in Tarrant County care.

Especially in this little neck of the woods where we are — this is a very caring, loving community. They try to provide for the means of those who are less fortunate than they are.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“I don’t mean to be negative, but I think they want to keep us exactly where we’re at. They don’t want to see us rise up. They don’t want to see our young people — the youth of the nation — they don’t want us to rise. They want to keep us exactly where we’re at.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

“The people are warm and friendly. The government has a lot of services that are accessible to people. And also we have a lot of nonprofits that provide a lot of good services and volunteer services and opportunities to volunteer.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“It’s harder to do because I think people see their communities as distinct and having different problems, so I think that they are all kind of egocentric in terms of ‘no, we want services that address OUR problems in OUR community,’ which they see as different than Fort Worth’s or different than those in Northeast Tarrant County. I think that’s true of Fort Worth as well. I think we see our problems as different than theirs.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

“I think the sense of mutual support is a valuable commodity. That someone is there to catch you if you fall, no matter what aspect of your life that is. Whether it’s medical or it’s on a personal level, relationship-wise or even religion, I think it’s that mutual support that’s really a warm fuzzy feeling.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“So people who are perceived as having a disability of one form or another or who have experienced intergenerational trauma or are mentally ill or who have a substance use history. All of those things make it very hard to live here, and there’s a lot of stigma attached to all of those things.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“It is a town with heart also. If someone is in trouble they gather round.” – Focus Group Interview Participant

“Why is your heart in such a place that you think you can’t live with other people who are not in the same socioeconomic bracket as you?” – Key Informant Interview Participant

“The gift and the curse of Tarrant County is Southern hospitality. It's a beautiful thing because we really do have a good face, and we present it well to the outside.

But, the curse of that is that things are always swept under the rug, and we never want to bite the hard truths.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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STRENGTHENING SYSTEMS THROUGH COLLABORATION, COORDINATION AND COMMUNITY PLANNING

A

key theme throughout the focus group and key informant interviews was a call for better communication, collaboration and coordination across and among social service, health, education, transportation, workforce, criminal justice and governmental systems.

RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY INTERVIEWEES FELL INTO SEVERAL AREAS: 1. Seeking partnerships and opportunities outside of usual networks; for example between education systems, businesses and faith organizations, using a perspective of what may benefit more than each organization’s or network’s stakeholders.

2. Including community residents, consumers and other stakeholders in planning and decision-making.

3. Improving communication of what is being done across systems to promote utilization of services and programs, as well as coordination of similar efforts.

NOT THE USUAL PARTNERS STAKEHOLDER PARTICIPATION “Having people who live in the neighborhood ... telling you ‘these are the issues that we think are “Our superintendent was the one that not being addressed’ … and approaching it with challenged us to begin to collaborate the mentality that they may know what they’re more together, versus every church in talking about … because every community is town is doing something to address always going to be different. And, the more that ‘back to school’ or this or some initiative, you can allow them to have a feeling that they irrespective of talking to the social service have their hands on the operation, the more buyagency and figuring out what they’ve in you’ll get from them, and the more success already done.” you’ll have without having to fly in hundreds of — Key Informant Interview Participant social workers and station them on every corner.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“It has to be a mindset of not necessarily what benefits me, but what benefits the whole.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“It’s not that any one of them has the solution, but they all have a piece to the puzzle. Sometimes they don’t even put their pieces out to make the puzzle, and I think that’s the greatest dilemma.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

20

“I don’t think [community residents are] consulted very much when it comes to some of those decision-making matters.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“Where can people find out about services?

[Information can be provided] when I go to the daycare to get my kids or from the school when my kids bring things home.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

BETTER COMMUNICATION “We’re going to be inundated with ‘back to school’ programs … which is all good stuff … but the problem is that of all those things that are going to happen, I guarantee if you go up to [neighborhood schools] … some baby’s going to walk in there without a backpack or not going to have school clothes, not going to have proper school supplies because there wasn’t enough of a coordinated effort, wasn’t enough communication to where people really understood where to go to access the things that they need.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “It needs to happen on the neighborhood level, needs to happen in the trenches with the people going door to door, but it needs to trickle all the way up the city or the county.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “The amount of services and goods and programming that these places provide is [substantial] … and yet, they are nowhere meeting the capacity of which they could of the people in need that they know about. And I don’t think it’s because they don’t want to communicate. In fact, they would love to.

It’s that they don’t have the know-how.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

TARRANT COUNTY STRENGTHS We asked interview participants what they appreciated about Tarrant County as well as what they wish would change. About 15% of all passages were flagged as identifying community strengths and assets.

The majority of strengths (64%) fell into six categories:

GENERAL SOCIAL SERVICES

nonprofits, faith organizations, community centers, etc.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS compassion, friendliness, neighborhoods

EDUCATION

early childhood initiatives, school district partnerships with community organizations, career readiness

RECREATION

cultural activities, arts, entertainment, bike trails, restaurants/ shops

HEALTH

healthcare systems, children’s services, health programs for underserved

BASIC NEEDS food pantries

Participants repeatedly characterized Tarrant County as a region that feels like a small community but offers “big” urban experiences. Not surprisingly, most of these strengths are also areas where significant needs and concerns exist. In some instances, programs and services were highly valued but deemed insufficient to meet the volume of community demands (e.g., workforce development programs, court diversion programs, food/clothing assistance).

“There's a whole host of nonprofit organizations that are providing care.” — Key Informant Interview Participant “I came here from out of state, and there are a lot of resources here that weren't in my home state.” — Focus Group Interview Participant “I think sometimes Tarrant County has a lot of things to brag on — and I don't mean that in a negative way — but they really do. We’ve got a lot of services.” — Focus Group Interview Participant “I think that hospital system [is a strength]. You can get some pretty tough diseases, and you don’t have to go across the county, like Cook Children’s ... is available to young people here. Not every community has a Cook Children’s available.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant “Fort Worth has a small-town heart with big-city offerings.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “There’s a lot to do in Tarrant County. There’s arts, there’s nature, hikes, lakes — you name it — bike trails throughout Tarrant County.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“Our hospitals are fabulous. It has been fun to watch all of them grow over the years.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “Actually, I think the early childhood intervention programs collaborate well with everyone. I’m very impressed by them.

I think there are agencies that will share a bit, and it gives us a glimpse of how good it could be if everyone could do that together.” — Key Informant Interview Participant “I think it’s a place that people give back to, both with their volunteer time and their dollars. I think people in Tarrant County care about Tarrant County and contribute to Tarrant County in many, many ways.” — Focus Group Interview Participant “It is a good place to turn your life around for the positive. And when you turn your life around, there are good services.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “You’d be surprised at how much care and love there is in this city.

It doesn’t always present itself right there in front of you, but it’s there. There are people making sacrifices for us.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

“I would say we have … probably the best public hospital in the country.” — Key Informant Interview Participant United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

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WHERE TO GO NEXT? COMMUNITY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNITED WAY OF TARRANT COUNTY

I

nterviewees were asked to provide their perspectives on how United Way of Tarrant County should allocate resources and engage the interest of donors. Nearly 6% of all coded passages in the interview transcripts were associated with ideas and recommendations for United Way of Tarrant County. Overall, 75% of recommendations fell into the following categories: • Continued or expansion funding for existing social services • Engagement of volunteers and coordination of donated resources • Support and leverage for community planning and systems integration • Initiatives focusing on education, transportation, housing, and workforce development

Engagement of volunteers and coordination of donated resources “I also think that, when you start to hear the stories on the news ... it just kind of, pulls on the heartstrings and you just feel like, what can I do?” — Key Informant Interview Participant “There are lots of really great causes out there. I think what really draws me is the mission.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “You [should] have a section [at the community center] where people can come and donate.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

Continued or expansion funding for social services: “Let’s really get back to the roots of the United Way, which is really around human services and social services.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant “We need more capacity building for those agencies that are already doing the services.” — Key Informant Interview Participant “Sometimes we spend a whole lot of money starting something, but then we don't spend the same amount of money to allow it to continue.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

Support and leverage for community planning and partnerships

“It’s not that there aren’t programs. It’s a matter of getting from this neighborhood ... to the programs. That becomes the issue.”

— Key Informant Interview Participant

“If we don’t have the partnership of the nonprofits, or even the arts council or the faith-based community … we’re never going to make it because we’re not talking to each other, and we’re not on the same page.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“I think we’ve got a lot of solutions that work. We’ve just got to figure out how to bring those solutions to scale, and there’s always a price tag associated with that.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“You cannot pick just one or two things to focus on because it is all so intertwined and comprehensive in nature that you have to kind of touch on all of that.” — Focus Group Interview Participant

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United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

WHO DID WE INTERVIEW?

67+33

Approximately two-thirds of our study participants were female.

67%

33%

FEMALE

MALE

OUR PARTICIPANTS RANGED FROM 18 TO 96 YEARS OF AGE. 21% 10% Initiatives focusing on education, transportation, housing and workforce development “I think it’s the earlier ages. You’ve got to get them off to a good start, even before kindergarten, but then you’ve got to get them through.” — Key Informant Interview Participant

“I would also work on public transportation to the places that are not central to Fort Worth.” – Focus Group Interview Participant

United Way of Tarrant County conducted a survey of its donors to gain perspective on what areas of concern in our community were the most important to them.

30-39

15%

40-49

50-59

60-69

6%

5%

70-79

80-89

53+1525123

2.4%

Multiracial

“Helping people prepare for and get good jobs, because people can’t change their lives if they don’t have income. They just can’t.”

— Focus Group Interview Participant

SURVEY OF DONORS

18-29

25% 26%

1.2% 25.2%

14.7%

Hispanic of any race

90-99

0.5%

American Indian and Alaskan Native Non-Hispanic

Asian

Black/African American Non-Hispanic

2%

RACE/ ETHNICITY

Community Assessment Participants (N=170)

3.1%

Other/Unknown

0%

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander

52.9%

White Non-Hispanic

MOST WERE EMPLOYED EITHER FULLTIME (34.1%) OR PARTTIME (16.5%). 22.9% OF PARTICIPANTS WERE RETIRED. 16.4% WERE CURRENTLY UNEMPLOYED BUT SEEKING A JOB, WHILE 8.2% WERE UNEMPLOYED AND NOT SEEKING A JOB.

Housing and Homelessness, as well as Early Childhood and Youth Education, were rated as the top two most important issues to donors. Donors also felt that United Way of Tarrant County could have a significant impact on issues like Early Childhood Education, Housing and Homelessness and continuing their support of Basic Needs and Emergency Assistance.

The research team traveled throughout Tarrant County to speak with a diversity of residents and stakeholders, reaching 91% of ZIP codes in the county.

United Way of Tarrant County: Community Assessment 2018-2019

23

UNITED WAY OF TARRANT COUNTY

COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT 2018–2019 This project would not have been possible without the financial support of the Sid Richardson Foundation and the contributions of these Tarrant County organizations:

• 6 Stones Mission Network

• Hispanic Wellness Coalition

• AIDS Outreach Center

• Keller Methodist Church

• Alzheimer’s Association

• Lena Pope

• Arlington Chamber of Commerce

• Lisa’s Little Angels

• Arlington Housing Authority

• Mission Central

• Build A Better Hood Foundation

• Open Arms

• Catholic Charities Diocese of Fort Worth

• Pathfinders

• Center for Transforming Lives

• Sixty & Better (Haltom City & White

• Community Enrichment Center

Settlement Senior Centers)

• Community Frontline

• Tarrant County College

• Community Link

• Tarrant County Criminal Courts

• Fort Worth Independent School District

• The Women’s Center of Tarrant County

• Gatehouse

• True Worth Place

• GRACE Clinic

• Valiant Hearts

• Harvest International Ministry

• YMCA of Metropolitan Fort Worth

A l i s t o f c i ted s o urc es i n t hi s d ocu m en t ca n b e obt ai n ed at u n i te d wayta rra n t . org /com m u n i t yas s es s m e n t

1 5 0 0 N o r t h M ai n S t reet , S u i t e 2 0 0 Fo r t Wor t h , Texa s 7 6 1 6 4 u n i t e dw ay t a r ran t . org