Dealing with the unhoused population is an extremely hard thing to provide solutions for, but I do think that providing them with resources and treating them as people are two essential things. More shelters and resources are being built and designed, but there are not nearly as many as there could be to help those in need.
true worth place
This resource center is located in Fort Worth, Texas, and is a day center that provides many resources to the unhoused community. The program includes medical and dental facilities, showers, lockers, a kitchen, access to technology, and a mailroom—all things that help this community feel and look normal in hopes of getting back on their feet. The most important thing, design-wise, in these spaces is using trauma-informed design principles and designing with dignity.
I love this idea of having the resources connected to the housing. There are so many barriers to getting to a position to be self sufficient and off the streets. There are also so many resources but typically hard to navigate and find. If you don’t have a car in some cities it can be challenging to get around. Also if you are in one office and some one suggest you go to another how fantastic that would be if it was just down the hall instead of across town. This place does not look what some people and myself included would expect a facility for the unhoused to look like. I imagine them to be not nice places like the ones shown in England in Lecture. This building looks clean, inviting, has plenty of light and the wayfinding looks good also. There are comfortable looking place to sit while waiting as well. Great precident!
In order to properly address homelessness, we need a multifaceted approach that not only focuses on providing necessary help, but also helping with dignity and respect. The Resource Center is a great example of how design plays a big role in having spaces that meet practical requirements but also helping the unhoused population feel even a little better about themselves and their situation.