‘It just gives them safety.’ Fort Worth Salvation Army center debuts renovated spaces

The Salvation Army’s Fort Worth social services center debuted renovated spaces Tuesday as the shelter tries to adapt to a rise in family homelessness.

The J.E. and L.E. Mabee Social Services Center, at 1855 E Lancaster Ave., has been serving homeless families in the area since 2017, according to Deborah Bullock, the center’s director of adult and family services for Tarrant and Ellis Counties.

Since that time, homeless families stayed in an open-door dormitory setting, Bullock said. The renovations to the center allow families to be served as a unit and have their own spaces.

During the 10-month long renovations, shelter residents were housed in hotels, motels, and even a gymnasium at Fort Worth’s Broadway Baptist Church.

The dormitories have been renovated to cubicles with beds, dressers and art on the walls.

The renovations come at an appropriate time: according to Bullock, the shelter has seen an uptick in family homelessness starting around May 2022.

On its busiest day, the shelter was serving close to 400 people, Bullock said, adding that the renovated spaces are already at capacity and have gone onto a waiting list.

According to the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition’s annual State of the Homeless report, the end of pandemic-related relief programs has brought on a surge of homelessness in the area.

As rent assistance and eviction moratoriums expired in 2023, the number of homeless families in the area jumped to 811, up from 688 the previous year.

Collaborations with city officials and community partners are what made the renovations so successful, Bullock said.

“It just gives them safety,” Bullock said. “You know, it just removes that stigma and those barriers.”

If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness and needs help, visit the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.