The Fort Worth Police Department’s Boarding Home Unit is drawing attention this week to the importance of monitoring boarding homes and ensuring compliance with city ordinances. While many licensed boarding homes provide safe housing for elderly residents and adults with disabilities, officials warn that unregulated or non-compliant facilities can pose dangers to both residents and surrounding neighborhoods.
Boarding homes are defined by city ordinance as residences where three or more individuals over the age of 65 or adults with physical or mental disabilities live together. Improperly managed homes can result in neglect, unsafe living conditions, and heavy strain on emergency services. One recent property cost the City of Fort Worth more than $2.8 million in emergency responses, care, and remediation.
Warning signs of problem boarding homes may include frequent police, fire, or medical calls, residents appearing neglected or disoriented, and overcrowded or unsafe conditions…