This shelter is the first in Fort Worth for young people caught in human trafficking
Young people who face trafficking, homelessness or who might have run away can soon find comfort in a new shelter in Fort Worth.
The Underground, a small space in the basement of One Safe Place, is the first drop-in shelter in Tarrant County. The short-term shelter provides a place for young people up to 22-year-olds who are at high risk of being trafficked or who have been caught in the cycle. They can stay for up to 24 hours and will have access to counseling and other resources through Unbound Fort Worth, a nonprofit that works with victims of trafficking. It will open Nov. 1.
The shelter will help boys and girls from across the state, but Stephanie Byrd, a former UnBound director who helped spearhead the project, said there’s more trafficking in Fort Worth than most people realize.
“These are our children,” Byrd said. “They grew up in our communities.”
Byrd is the wife of Fort Worth City Councilman Brian Byrd. The shelter will be led by Chris Cage with five full-time staffers. Byrd will take a position on the advisory board.
Most of the children who come to The Underground will already be involved with Unbound’s outreach, Byrd said, but other may arrive through Fort Worth police or other law enforcement. The hope is the shelter may offer an alternative path instead of introducing a young person to the criminal justice system.
At the shelter, they’ll be greeted by Wilbur, a therapy dog, and the the smell of baked cookies. They can rest in a secure setting. Showers and laundry machines are available along with an Unbound case manager who can help direct the youth to other resources. It’s a more appropriate environment for child trafficking victims than a homeless shelter or a police detention center.
The Underground is a significant improvement over spending nights 24-hour restaurants.
“Sometimes it’s midnight and we get a call about a kid,” Byrd said. “It’s like ‘Where do we go?’ This a welcoming place.”
Fort Worth Police said they couldn’t provide statistics on trafficking in the city without a formal records request, but Byrd said Unbound has had contact with roughly 200 youths involved in human trafficking since June 2018. The number of trafficked youths is likely much higher, she said. She anticipates the shelter could help 400 or more within the first year, though she was hesitant to estimate.
“This is going to go a long way to tackling trafficking in Fort Worth,” said councilman Byrd.
Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks said he was emotional thinking about the hardships a child might face.
Brooks said The Underground would fill a vital need. Its central location means it can serve the entire county, but if need is greater than expected he said he hopes other shelters will open.
“This represents the community wrapping its arms around these kids and giving them safety, protection and a warm welcome,” he said.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 2:42 PM.
