Who We Are

That’s why we’ve worked to eliminate the cycle of homelessness in Tarrant County since 1984. Our organization is the largest provider of services to our county’s residents who are experiencing homelessness, with a “housing first” approach designed to address root causes from a place of strength and stability.

But it’s about more than meeting needs – it’s about making a difference for the entire community. Here’s why:

  • Research supports “housing first” as an effective solution to homelessness, with participants shown to access housing faster and be more likely to remain stably housed.***
    ***National Alliance to End Homelessness, Housing First Fact Sheet
  • A 2008 study in New York City showed that “the values of properties within 500 feet of supportive housing show steady growth relative to other properties in the neighborhood in the years after supportive housing opens.”* 
  • Taxpayers in Tarrant County spent 36 percent more on people while they were on the streets than when they were in supportive housing.**
  • A recent study that examined service utilization before and after people moved off the streets found that charges from JPS Health Network, MHMR, and MedStar were reduced by 36 percent.**

That’s why we focus our efforts on two equally important things: giving people immediate shelter and helping them find a place to call home. See how it all adds up.

Discover more about how Presbyterian Night Shelter opens doors.

 

 

* The Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy at New York University (2008): The Impact of Supportive Housing on Surrounding Neighborhoods: Evidence from New York City

**Public Hospital Data: Haynes, J. & Petrovich, J. (2012). Evaluation of directions home supportive housing and the use of critical service systems: JPS Health Network Data. (Unpublished technical report.)  John Peter Smith Health Network and Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas. All other data: Petrovich, J. (2012). Evaluation of directions home supportive housing and the use of critical service systems: Mental health, emergency medical, and law enforcement sectors. (Unpublished technical report.) Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas.

More than the sum of our parts.

 

The Presbyterian Night Shelter was started by a group of Presbyterian churches as an overnight shelter for men, women and children struggling with homelessness in Tarrant County. Today, we retain many of the elements that gave us our name, providing (but not requiring) spiritual guidance for those who seek it. And while our overnight emergency shelter services are still available to anyone who needs them, we’re equally focused on helping our guests find their own permanent housing.