Tarrant County faith nonprofit opens new center for people experiencing homelessness

In the 1930s, the tan brick building located at the heart of East Lancaster served as an entrance to Fort Worth as part of a building for the Texas and Pacific Railway, said Charles Wolford, Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County president and CEO.

The space, located at 1350 E. Lancaster Ave., has lived many lives in its nearly 100-year history, Wolford said. Today, he hopes unhoused individuals and families will know it as a place to call home.

Members of Union Gospel Mission of Tarrant County, city leaders and local government officials celebrated the opening of the nonprofit’s new Welcome Center in east Fort Worth. The facility will serve as the entry point for people experiencing homelessness and a centralized hub of resources and services aimed at addressing housing instability.

The facility officially opens to the public for servicing beginning on Jan. 20. Facility doors will be open on weekdays from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekends. Operating services will be offered 24/7.

“The Welcome Center is consistent with what we want to try to achieve as we roll out what we consider Christian hospitality,” Wolford said. “When someone comes into the Union Gospel Mission, we want them to feel as if they’re loved and cared for like never before.”

Mission staff will offer personalized housing assessments, shelter diversion services and, sometimes, entry into the nonprofit’s programs. The facility will work in tandem with the Mission’s Community Outreach Center, which offers job training as well as financial literacy and education classes to people experiencing homelessness.

Fort Worth City Council members Mia Hall, Michael Crain, Macy Hill and Chris Nettles attended Thursday’s event.

The Welcome Center is a “step in the right direction” when it comes to meeting the needs of unhoused people and families in Fort Worth, said District 6 council member Mia Hall.

“We have a housing crisis in our community, and most of us are just one step away

from an emergency ourselves,” Hall said. “It’s very important that we have these safety nets for our neighbors.”

Homelessness increased by 11% from 2024 to 2025 in Tarrant and Parker counties, according to a State of Homelessness Address in May from Partnership Home, the lead agency in both areas’ homelessness response.

The agency reported 2,637 people experiencing homelessness in Tarrant and Parker counties, with 2,289 of those individuals — or 86.8% — located in Fort Worth.

The data comes from the annual Point in Time Count conducted in January as part of a federally mandated count designed to be a snapshot of the number of people and families experiencing homelessness on a single night. This year’s Point in Time Count will take place on Jan. 22.

Nettles’ district includes the mission’s shelter as well as the Presbyterian Night Shelter.

Union Gospel Mission “has continued to invest back into the community,” Nettles said. The new Welcome Center serves as another step forward in helping people experiencing homelessness, he added.

“I tell people all the time that the Union Gospel Mission is not just a homeless shelter, it is a pillar for a second chance,” Nettles said.

The Welcome Center includes spaces like the Dignity Center, where visitors in distress can change into a fresh pair of clothes. Individuals recently discharged from a hospital or a behavior health facility could use one of the 24 beds available in the facility’s recuperation care area.

Services on East Lancaster like the Welcome Center are an example of how “we take care of the least of these,” Crain said, referencing a phrase in the Bible where Jesus speaks of helping those in need in the Parable of the Sheep and Goats.

“We as government officials have to wrestle with resources and what that looks like but, ultimately, we need to take care of everybody as much as we can,” Crain said. “I’m proud of what Union Gospel Mission is doing and making a difference here forever.”

Marissa Greene is a Report for America corps member, covering faith for the Fort Worth Report. You can contact her at marissa.greene@fortworthreport.org.