Residents of the Fort Worth neighborhood of Como voted Thursday night to oppose a plan by Samaritan House to build a $15 million living center in their neighborhood, according to a report today in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Samaritan House’s current facility, on Hemphill Street just west of Rosedale, provides housing for homeless, low-income people with HIV. The proposed facility, which would house 150 to 200 men, women and children, would not be restricted to those with HIV. Residency there would instead be based on income, and residents would be offered services such as jobs training, literacy classes and substance abuse treatment.
Como is on the west side of Fort Worth, south of Interstate 30 and just east of Camp Bowie Boulevard.
The vote, held by the Como Neighborhood Advisory Council, was 365-41 against the new living center, and was restricted to those who could prove their ties to the neighborhood. The Como residents have also vowed to take their vote to the Fort Worth City Council when it meets Tuesday, although Councilman Carter Burdette — who represents the district in which Como is located — said Thursday the council likely had no power to stop the Samaritan House development.
Burdette said that although the council is considering giving $61,000 the city received in federal housing funds to the project, “If they don’t get it from us, they might go get it from someone else.”
Some of those opposing the project said Como already has enough issues to deal with, and doesn’t need more people with problems moving into the area.
