Important Book Synopsis

On Monday, Setember 19, MDHA, CitySquare, and the Dallas Public Library presented a book synopsis of Housing First: Ending Homelessness, Transforming Systems, and Changing Lives.

The data for client success in Housing First programs in Dallas comes in at 96%!

Watch the presentation below!

Destination Home

On Tuesday afternoon I toured our Destination Home housing sites. 

We serve 28 wonderful neighbors in southern Dallas in one complex and 105 friends in two north Dallas apartment complexes located adjacent to one another. 

Here are my two overwhelming impressions/takeaways:

1.  The formerly homeless persons living in these apartments have found homes.  Most don't see their current situation as the end of their stories.  Still, each person has found a home far, far from the mean streets of Dallas.  Mission accomplished!

2. The staff leaders who relate to, serve and encourage the residents are beyond exceptional persons.  What a team we have at CitySquare! 

I need to get out of the office more often! 

Low pressure freedom to heal. . .

[Recently, I received the message below from Lisa Ciminelli, our leader in providing neighbor support services to all of the folks living in CitySquare housing.  We've made a commitment to pursue a genuine "Housing First" methodology with our residents.  This means that a person's personal challenges and "issues" don't automatically result in their being ejected from the housing we manage, if and when mistakes and missteps are made.  We regard housing as a therapeutic tool in the hands of our team.  Housing often is essential in bringing healing and wholeness to formerly homeless men and women. Lisa's note spotlights the differentiation of the CitySquare approach. When we say that we are here to work with people, no matter what their challenges, we mean it.]

 

Gentlemen, 

I was listening to Valerie talk about a neighbor just now. Apparently he was in another housing program before CitySquare and he got kicked out for “behavioral” issues ( alcoholic) . We took him in and he was unsteady with us for quite a while.  

Now he is sober and brought everyone handmade art work that says “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year.” 

Valerie asked him why he thought he was so successful and he said, “Because you guys are not on me all the time. My last case manager at __________ was always waiting for me to mess up. It was like they expected me to fail.”  

We have 3 other neighbors that I know of, in our housing program right now, Eddie [a really challenging gentleman!] being one, that were terminated from other “Housing First” programs and are now successful with us.

I love this stuff!

Thank you,

Lisa Ciminelli, LCSW-S
Assistant Vice President of Neighbor Support Services
CitySquare
1610 S. Malcolm X Blvd., Building #101
Dallas, Texas 75226
(469) 904-7027
lciminelli@citysquare.org

 

Service to country. . .country to serve?