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Home My WebLink AboutIR 25-0082INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0082 h1%T.ti7e. G 3- 4 i f i1 Y r YA 11973 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 17, 2025 Page 1 of 5 SUBJECT: MID -YEAR UPDATE ON FY25 ILLEGAL CAMPSITE CLEANUP TRENDS (OCTOBER 1, 2024 — MARCH 31, 2025) This Informal Report provides an update on illegal campsite cleanup data for the first half of FY25 (October 1, 2024 — March 31, 2025). The process to respond to illegal camping complaints — including support for individuals experiencing homelessness, enforcing applicable laws and ordinances, and completing nuisance abatement cleanup activities at illegal campsite — is a joint effort between several City departments: Fort Worth Police (FWPD), Fort Worth Fire (FWFD), DRC Solutions, Code Compliance, City Manager's Office/Homeless Strategies, and Environmental Services with additional support from UpSpire. As of July 1, 2025, (1) Code Compliance Supervisor and (7) Sr. Code Compliance Officers will transition from the Code Compliance Department to the Environmental Services Department for added organizational alignment. This transition includes functions related to illegal campsite nuisance abatement on any property as well as commercial code compliance functions, such as land use/zoning and property maintenance (e.g., commercial, industrial land uses). This organizational change aligns nuisance abatement enforcement for illegal campsites and nuisance abatement within one department. Code Compliance will continue to support neighborhoods through residential code compliance and animal care and control services. MvFW Am) Camp Reporting The process for completing illegal campsite nuisance abatement often begins with a report to the 311 Contact Center, typically via the MyFW app. From October 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, a total of 29,683 requests were submitted through the MyFW app across all request types. Of those reports, 2,803 were related to illegal campsites. Table 1, below, shows the increase in illegal campsites reported through MyFW app. Table 1: Increase in Illegal Campsites Reported through MyFW App by Fiscal Year FY 22 FY 23 FY24 FY25 (Q1 and Q2) Forecast Full Year FY25 937 2,602 5,287 2,803 .- Table 1 shows an increase in illegal campsites reported from FY22 — FY25 (Q1-Q2). Litter and Debris Collections From October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, Environmental Services abated 1,106 illegal campsites which resulted in approximately 1,030 tons of litter and debris collected. If the second half of FY25 follows this trend, the number of individual illegal campsites abated in FY25 could increase by 62% compared to FY24. However, the amount of material collected is projected to grow by only 5%. Notably, the size of illegal campsites can vary. Figure 1 and Table 2, below, show growth trends since FY23 in the number of illegal campsites abated and the total amount of litter and debris collected. Maintaining a consistent effort to create and maintain a safe, clean city has helped to deter the development of very large, illegal ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0082 h1%T.ti7e. G 3- 4 i f i1 Y r YA 11973 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 17, 2025 Page 2 of 5 SUBJECT: MID -YEAR UPDATE ON FY25 ILLEGAL CAMPSITE CLEANUP TRENDS (OCTOBER 1, 2024 — MARCH 31, 2025) campsites and higher volumes of debris. This has also resulted in a greater number of small- and medium-sized illegal campsites. Figure 1: Illegal Campsites Abated Between FY21 and FY25 (Q1 & Q2) 2400 2200 1 1 1 1 2000 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1600 1 1 1 1 1 1400 1 1 1200 1000 Sao 600 400 2A0 0 FY21 FY22 FY23 FY24 FY25 ■ Fiscal Year Total 206 543 742 B63 1106 ■MonthfYAvg ?? 45 62 114 185 Figure 1 shows an increase in illegal campsites abated between FY21 — FY25 (Q1 -Q2) As shown, 1,363 illegal campsites were abated in FY24, and 1,106 illegal campsites have been cleaned in FY25 as of March 31, 2025. It is projected that approximately 2,200 illegal campsites will be abated in FY25 which ends September 30, 2025. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0082 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 17, 2025 ° 3- Page 3 of 5 i i1 Y *a SUBJECT: MID -YEAR UPDATE ON FY25 ILLEGAL CAMPSITE CLEANUP r YA TRENDS (OCTOBER 1, 2024 — MARCH 31, 2025) Ygg3 Table 2: Year Over Year Increase in Illegal Campsite Nuisance Abatement Efforts FY25 over FY24 FY 23 FY 24 FY 25 (Q1 and Q2) (% Increase) Proiected Number of Camps 742 1,363 1,106 +62% Cleaned (units) (projected FY25: 2,212) Litter/Debris Collected 1,211 1,963 1,030 +5% (tons) (projected FY25: 2,060) Table 2 shows an increase (+62%) in overall illegal campsites with a relatively small increase (+5%) to overall litter and debris collected from nuisance abatement activities. Data suggest that consistent cleanup efforts deter larger illegal campsites. Cost Breakdown From October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, the City spent approximately $2.4M on illegal campsite nuisance abatement (i.e., staff/contractor time for enforcement and costs for collection and disposal of debris). If the second half of FY25 follows this trend, the City is projected to spend $4.9M on illegal campsite nuisance abatement. This is estimated as (+64%) increase from FY24 to FY25. Figure 2, below, shows the forecasted increase for FY25. Figure 2: Annual Cost of Illegal Camping Private, Public and Park Property $5,000,000.00 $4,000,000.00 $3,000,000.00 $2,000,000.00 $1,000,040.00 5- FV23 F'� 4 FY25 CU,2 Forecast FY25 ■ Public Property, Non-PARC='riva#e Property ■ PARD Pro pertV Figure 2 shows annual costs associated with illegal campsite nuisance abatement estimated up to $4.9M in FY25. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0082 1,1%T.tAq G 3- 4 i f i1 Y r YA 11973 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 17, 2025 Page 4 of 5 SUBJECT: MID -YEAR UPDATE ON FY25 ILLEGAL CAMPSITE CLEANUP TRENDS (OCTOBER 1, 2024 — MARCH 31, 2025) Figure 3: Illegal Campsites Nuisance Abatements (October 1,2024 — March 31, 2025) 0 • .�' a ''M,. . 0 L1 • �• • . 5 �' lam>>;.tr .whaled Figure 3 depicts the locations of 1,106 illegal campsite nuisance abatement locations cleaned between October 1, 2024 and March 31, 2025. This includes some recurring locations. ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 25-0082 h1%T.ti7e. G 3- 4 i f i1 Y r YA 11973 To the Mayor and Members of the City Council June 17, 2025 Page 5 of 5 SUBJECT: MID -YEAR UPDATE ON FY25 ILLEGAL CAMPSITE CLEANUP TRENDS (OCTOBER 1, 2024 — MARCH 31, 2025) Overview of Efforts to Support E. Lancaster Corridor Beginning in December 2024, HOPE PD and Environmental Services have partnered to conduct additional enforcement and cleanup efforts in the E. Lancaster corridor. Each week, Monday through Friday, HOPE PD officers provide verbal warnings to individuals if they are camping on private or public property in the area. Following that warning and service options to support individuals by HOPE PD, Environmental Services and one (1) dedicated UpSpire team abates the illegal campsite and corresponding debris. Filling HOPE Positions As of June 1, 2025, the FWPD Homeless Outreach able to fill four vacant officer positions within HOPE sergeants, two corporals, and eight (8) officers. Programs and Enforcement (HOPE) Unit has been The HOPE team within FWPD now consists of two For more information, please contact Assistant Environmental Services Director, Wyndie Turpen at (817) 392-6892, Homeless Strategies Manager, Tara Perez at (817) 392-2235, or Deputy Police Chief, Buck Wheeler at (817) 392-4431. Jesus "Jay" Chapa City Manager ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS