Emergency shelters are a form of crisis intervention that isolates the problems of the unhoused population through food, security, case management, and housing resources. Shifts in policy, insufficient funding, and strict regulations have made it difficult to access these resources across the state of Texas (Gaffney, 2025). In rural North Texas communities, however, this resource is exceptionally scarce as there is a low abundance of beds and locations (Institute for Community Alliances [ICA], 2026) while strict regulations dismiss many applicants due criminal status, number of children under 16 years of age, the need for a form of identification and only having availability for those seeking employment.  
In 2025, 61% of the USA states had a demand for beds and resources that exceeded the availability of additional resources. The Dallas –Fort Worth area fell within this group. The rural cities of DFW, such as cities within Collin and Hunt counties, have had an 18% growth in their unhoused population (HUD, 2026) resulting in thousands of individuals experiencing homelessness outside of individuals utilizing emergency shelters. Beyond the criteria that shelter staff require applicants to meet, many shelters are at full capacity with waiting lists that span months or years; as found by a study in 2024, people who were restricted from emergency shelters often experienced unsheltered homelessness afterward and other negative outcomes, including substance use relapse, hospitalization, food insecurity, criminal justice involvement, and health concerns (Kerman et al., 2024). The low-barrier model reduces the chances of applicants being denied based on criminal history, family size, difficulty obtaining identification, and employment status. 
This petition encourages Northern Texas cities, especially smaller and rural communities, to establish low-barrier emergency shelters for individuals and families who are unsheltered. Establishing these shelters would provide individuals and families with a safe place to stay and provide opportunities for them to connect with community organizations to help regain and maintain independent stability. The 2026 Point-in-Time (PIT) count found that 31% of the unhoused population in Collin and Dallas Counties alone were not sheltered (ICA, 2026). Meaning 31% of community members were residing in places not meant for occupancy. Moreover, the ICA (2026) reported that emergency shelter beds decreased by 8% from last year. Creating new shelters with fewer restrictions will not only increase the number of beds available but also reduce the percentage of community members residing in inhospitable environments.   
Low-barrier shelters are particularly important because restrictions on shelter access can contribute to people remaining or becoming unsheltered. Providing shelter with fewer unnecessary barriers could give these community members a better opportunity to become stable while connecting them with resources needed to obtain permanent housing. This can also benefit the community by reducing the number of people who are forced to live in public spaces and increasing opportunities for individuals and families to connect with services that support long-term housing stability. 
By signing this petition, you can support a cause that creates low-barrier emergency shelters in North Texas. This does not just give individuals and families a place to stay; it provides these individuals with essential resources, case management services and a real chance to regain stability instead of fighting for survival in inhospitable and unsafe environments.