Millions across the country have no place to call home.
Feed My Sheep Executive Director Staci Masson in Temple said it’s even a major problem in Central Texas.
“This isn’t just Temple’s homeless, Belton’s homeless or Killeen’s homeless. This is Bell County’s homeless. They move where their needs are or their opportunities are,” said Masson.
“I’ve noticed that it’s starting to grow expeditiously. I think that’s the same thing you get into when you’re not dealing with the problem right away,” said Killeen City Councilwoman Mellisa Brown.
That’s why Killeen and Temple city leaders are considering working together to create a strategic plan.
“There’s been a lot of replication of ideas, a lot of replication of services,” said Brown. “No one person is as successful if they’re competing with someone else is doing the same thing. So, the idea is to bring all of those organizations together.”
Killeen City leaders say the plan could also include helping the homeless regain identification that has been lost or stolen, assisting with job training and job skills, completing applications and money management education and more.
Many are also hoping the plan provides mental health services.
“We have two little opportunity so often to find healthcare, mental health care, inpatient health care for someone who needs it who does not have health insurance,” said Masson. “We have to send them outside of our area.”
Killeen City officials say they’ll be working together with Temple over the next coming weeks to develop a draft for the plan and consider it for approval.
