Homeless Outeach

Every month I receive a report from our Homeless Outreach Team (HOT Team) that summarizes their activities in Downtown Dallas. 

For the past several years Downtown Dallas, Inc. has contracted with CitySquare to do outreach in Downtown Dallas among the chronically homeless neighbors who call these hard streets "home." 

Here's a snapshot of the November report (with annual totals/YTD included):

• HOT engaged 157 (2266 YTD) different persons
• 76 (1145 YTD) individuals allowed the team to conduct assessments
• 76 (845 YTD) happened to be first time neighbors
• 81 (649 YTD) were returning neighbors
• HOT referred 83 (1252 YTD) for more intensive/extensive case management services
• 1 (22 YTD) person was placed in permanent supportive housing
• 18 (153 YTD) were referred to and placed at local shelters
• 42 (98 YTD) were approved for Dallas Housing Authority apartments and were waiting to be placed
• 4 (38 YTD) neighbors received medical treatment
• 2 (35 YTD) received psychiatric services
• 1 (8 YTD) was referred for substance abuse treatment
• 10 (55 YTD) received bus passes for DART
• Funding was provided for 24 (199 YTD) persons to go back to their homes after a plan was worked out with family/friends at destination
• HOT provided 26 (207 YTD) local transport to various places/appointments
• 50 (211 YTD) received clothing
• 1 (14 YTD) person received food
• 13 (102 YTD) received hygiene packs

CitySquare's HOT team is making a big difference in the lives of homeless persons who move about in the central business district.  Friendships are being made and evidence of progress is seen daily.  Further, public safety has improved dramatically. 

That said, we expect funding for the continuation of these efforts to be under great pressure in 2014 to be cut.  I'm hoping the business community supporting Downtown Dallas will seriously consider extending the funding and the public service.  The benefit will be shared by all of us.

Lazarus

On April 1, CitySquare began outreach to homeless persons who live on the streets and sidewalks of the central business district here in Dallas. Downtown Dallas, Inc. contracted with us to do this work. The idea is to identify homeless people on the streets, get to know them personally, gain their trust and then work with them to find permanent housing here in Dallas or assist in reuniting them with their families here or elsewhere.

So far, this new dimension of our work Downtown is going well. We're getting to know people and we're doing our best to assist them in improving their day-to-day living circumstances.

The new assignment causes me to look at the streets and the people living on them differently. I find myself constantly looking for new friends in a way I haven't before.

Most of the men and women to whom we reach out experience chronic homelessness. . .they've been "out there" for a long time with few interruptions in status or circumstance.

One man I see on a regular basis reminds me of Lazarus, the man who "lived" outside the gates of the rich man's estate in the troubling story Jesus told. In the parable, the horrid life of the beggar connected directly to the after life of the man of wealth. The point of the story sobers me and moves me past my blind complacency.

But, back to my modern day Lazarus.

He often sits on the sidewalk outside the downtown YMCA where I workout most days. He's modified a walker to support himself and to secure his possessions as he moves about a very limited area. He is filthy, not having had access to a shower for a long time, or so it appears.

I've talked to him a few times. His speech is hard to discern. He speaks with a very low voice. His eyes disturb me, I think because of the hopelessness and illness that flows from them.

I've never observed him begging. It is as if he's given up on anyone helping him, or maybe it's that he's given up on the entire idea of there being any "help" for him from any source.

We'll reach out to him again with more intentionality and resources than I've brought to the process so far. Hopefully, there will be better news to share about him soon.

Or, maybe not.

I do know one thing for certain as I reflect on him and my experience with him: the two of us need each other. That is true at so deep a level that neither of us understands just how true and important it is.

Today I'll be looking for "Lazarus" again.

[You can read the entire tale of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19ff.]

Central Dallas CDC News: Dallas Observer report on Downtown affordable housing

The following most interesting column by Dallas Observer writer, Jim Schutze reveals the something of the growing importance of the work of the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation.  Worth your time if you care about affordable housing in Downtown Dallas. 

Dallas City Hall gets whopped upside the head for its low-income housing policy

By Jim Schutze Thursday, Feb 17 2011

Tell me first. To be a cool place to live, what does downtown Dallas need? Action. Tons and tons of people, not all super-rich, not all homeless, either.

But that's the problem with downtown. Rich people in the towers. Desperadoes in the alleys. Long empty sidewalks between.

For that to change, downtown needs to become affordable to jobsians. Not rich. Not poor. Not white, black or brown. Just people with jobs.

Guess what. I think maybe that door just cracked.

In a small room in the bowels of City Hall at 8:30 in the morning on one of those hard weather days last week, an obscure body voted to change direction on the renovation of a handful of old office towers—known as the Atmos Project.

It was the first hint of a whole new thing, and it only happened because some guys whopped the city upside the head with a two-by-four. I will come back to that, of course, because I know you love head-whoppings.

The important thing is this: The city board, whose name is too long for me to mention yet, voted to put way more subsidized low-rent apartments into the Atmos re-development deal than originally planned.

For decades, Dallas has taken federal funds designed to foster low-income housing downtown and used the money instead to make downtown hotsy-totsy. The result is what you see now—notsy.

Click here to read the entire essay and get to the part about the Central Dallas CDC. . .

Super Bowl on CityWalk wall!

Love the new Downtown? Live Downtown!

Want to live in booming, exciting, increasingly active Downtown Dallas? 
But, afraid you can't afford it?

Living on wages under $30,000 annually?  Feel like you're limited to the 'burbs?

Not so fast!

Drop what you are doing and call 214.303-2119. 

Talk to Keith.  He can tell you how to get in on a great move-in deal at CityWalk!

Poor folks Downtown?

Are poor people welcome in Downtown Dallas? 

Great question. 

My office sits on the 3rd floor of our newly redone building at 511 N. Akard on the Arts District side of Downtown Dallas.  It is also going to be home to over 200 low-income persons.  So, since they live here, it's hard to say that poor people aren't welcome in Downtown.  We had help getting the development done, including help from the City of Dallas.  We're grateful for the partnership.

That said, it is clear to me that many people don't believe low-income folks can contribute anything positive to the revitalization of the central core of our city.  We've heard and received various expressions of concern and opposition to our City Walk project.  While the city's housing department helped us with the development by providing funds and counsel, compared to city support provided developments of upscale projects, what we received reflects the city's priorities about workforce and permanent supportive housing in the Downtown area.  Poor folks and their housing needs just aren't high on the city's list. 

Consider:  less than 1/10 of 1% of the general revenue operating budget for the City of Dallas goes to the Housing Department.  Most of those funds pay salaries and support specialized programs.  The city doesn't have a robust, adequately funded strategy for the development of affordable housing or permanent supportive housing.  The bulk of the development funds flowing from the city to developers comes from the federal and state governments.  Our local commitment to addressing the problem is anemic.

What to do? 

One:  begin a stairstep increase in the Housing Department's allocation from 1/10 of 1% to a full 1% over a 5 year period.  This would allow the department to implement an effective plan over 60 months as funds rose gradually.

Two:  craft, support and pass a bond issue to create a City of Dallas Housing Trust Fund of $50 million in the next bond election, hopefully no later than 2011.  Such a trust fund would ensure the availability of resources for developers committed to building affordable housing and permanent supportive housing (PSH) for low-income residents of Dallas.  Once established, at least 30% of the fund's earnings should be earmarked for PSH.

CityWalk@Akard: Photos

To get a glimpse of our newly restored, Downtown office tower, know at CityWalk@ Akard, click here.

The project is mixed-use: office and retail. . .

Mixed-income: 200 units of affordable housing with 50 units reserved for formerly homeless persons and 6 market rate, for sale condos.

Our grand opening will be Thursday, March 25 from 4:30 to 7:00 p.m.

Friday, February 12, 2010: A Day to Remember

By the morning of Friday, February 12, the DFW Airport weather station had recorded 12.5 inches of snow on the ground in Dallas, Texas!  The beautiful snow fell all day long the previous day. 

I've always loved snow.  But after Friday, I know I'll never look at snow the same, ever again!

Enjoy the shots below from neighborhood and Downtown Dallas.

The Future of Downtown Dallas

>Here's an important note of interest to folks living in Dallas. Why not show up and have a say?

Creative, helpful housing as security

Larry and Ted Hamilton are good guys. We're glad to call them friends. Whether the issue is downtown renewal and upscale development or solving a security problem while helping others who find themselves in tough spots, these guys come up with very creative ideas!

Check out this report.

You'll see what I mean.

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