Court approves MHMR jail diversion interlocal; public urges more county funding as HUD revises NOFO

Tarrant County Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with MHMR of Tarrant County on Tuesday to continue operating the county’s Bridal Health Jail Diversion Center, a program county officials and advocates say helps reduce jail crowding by directing people with behavioral‑health needs to treatment instead of incarceration.

Speakers including Reed Bills and Lon Burnham praised the center’s work since it opened in 2023 but argued the county’s contractual obligations are limited to facilities and that success requires broader county action. Bills urged the county to ensure law enforcement and intake personnel are trained to recognize diversion criteria and to publish monthly client counts for public transparency. Burnham called current funding “inadequate” and asked why county support could not be doubled.

On related business, Deborah Kratke informed the court that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development had withdrawn the FY25 Continuum of Care Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to revise rules that — in its initial form — would have cut funding for permanent supportive housing by up to 70% in some counties and shifted funds to transitional housing and short‑term services. Kratke warned that proposed changes could lead to widespread evictions among households in units subsidized by permanent supportive housing and urged the court to urge HUD to preserve permanent‑housing funding.

Court members approved the MHMR interlocal and ESG subrecipient agreements unanimously and directed staff to continue coordination with providers. Commissioners and staff acknowledged the need for more robust outreach, reporting, and program evaluation to maximize diversion center utilization and to mitigate risks if HUD changes funding priorities.