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Resident urges Fort Worth council to prioritize homelessness funding, criticizes recent city spending
Summary
Adrian Smith, speaking during public comment, questioned how federal and local dollars were being directed to homelessness services and cited figures for federal relief and the new city hall as he urged the council to do more to prevent childhood homelessness.
Adrian Smith addressed the Fort Worth City Council during the public comment period, urging the council to increase support for people experiencing homelessness and criticizing what he described as disproportionate city spending on other projects.
Smith questioned the share of federal funding directed to homelessness programs, asking, "How much of the federal offer money, 176,000,000, was designated towards our homeless population?" He also contrasted that figure with what he said was the cost of the new city hall, asking, "What about the $333,626,188 that went into this new city hall?"
Smith framed homelessness as a systemic issue caused in part by scarce resources for those responsible for residents' well-being, saying childhood homelessness "isn't a choice that any child chooses" and calling for actions that align with stated advocacy. He told the council, "In closing, we can do better and we should do better."
The council moved and approved the consent agenda during Smith's remarks; the transcript records "Motion carries" but does not include a roll-call tally or further debate tied to Smith's comments. The council did not record a direct response to Smith's questions on funding in the portions of the meeting captured by the transcript.
