The Cottages

For the past two years CitySquare has been at a table of unique collaboration. The mission: to develop 50 units of permanent supportive housing for 50 of the most expensive homeless persons in Dallas. 

By "most expensive," I mean those who use the services of public institutions, including the police, EMS, hospital emergency rooms, mental health and jail resources.  The most expensive 250 homeless persons in Dallas cost the county/city approximately $40,000 per person annually, not counting value of services provided by the non-profit community.

The consortium, convened by the leadership of the W. W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation, includes MetroCare (MHMR of Dallas County), Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (The Bridge), Dallas County Criminal Justice System (the county jail), University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Central Dallas Community Development Corporation, the Meadows Foundation, and CitySquare. The group plans to build 50 single family cottages that will house 50 of these most expensive, most shelter resistant homeless persons in our community--people who are chronically homeless with mental illness issues and criminal backgrounds/involvement.  The innovative development will be known as "The Cottages at Hickory Crossing," and is similar to a number of 50-unit housing developments across the nation. 

Central Dallas CDC serves as the developer for the project.  Brent Brown's bcworkshop and Brown Architects is handling the design. 

A tract of property at the southwest corner of I-30 and Malcolm X Boulevard has been purchased for the development.  W. W. Caruth, Jr. Foundation created a $2.5 million match fund, providing $1 for every $3 raised by the consortium for the project.  In addition, the foundation invested $1 million upfront to provide special housing support for our city's overcrowded homeless assistance center, The Bridge. 

The unique housing development intends to be operational by 2012.  More details will be published here in the future.  If you need more information, feel free to contact me.