Race and Homelessness

The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance hosted representatives from the Center for Social Innovation to lead a discussion of race and homelessness in Dalllas. The presentation is the latest in MDHA's "Hard Conversations" serires.

Thought provoking and relevant!

Watch it!

Press Release: Haskell Encampment to be closed, Tuesday, October 25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Cindy J. Crain

President and CEO, MDHA

817-991-9127, Cindy.Crain@mdhadallas.org 

Housing and Shelter Targets Exceeded as Haskell Encampment Closes;

Street Outreach and Case Management Continues

Haskell Encampment, Dallas, Texas – Today , October 24, 2016, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) and the Street Outreach Initiative, closes out an intensive week of case management and engagement, reviewing options with the remaining thirty-seven individuals, living at the Haskell Encampment, who had not moved yet. The encampment area located between S. Hill and Haskell Avenues under I-30 will be formally closed beginning at 9:00 a.m. tomorrow, October 25.

                                                                    

The site was slated for closure after a joint meeting with City Officials on September 29, 2016, when MDHA and collaborative partners agreed that the Street Outreach Initiative could reasonably house half of the then population of eighty-two encampment residents. The closure guidelines were developed by MDHA in consultation with the City of Dallas, following the clearing of Tent City in April-May of this year.

As of today, 45 persons have been placed,  just above the goal of 41. 

Over the course of the last few weeks, in fact, MDHA and its partners from the City of Dallas, CitySquare, Nexus Recovery Center, Turtle Creek Recovery Center, The Bridge, Austin Street Shelter, the Salvation Army and Metrocare Services, were able to find and place forty-five residents into shelter, treatment, rapid rehousing, permanent private housing, and group homes or help them reunite with their families.

“Consistent and persistent case management, patiently undertaken by seasoned professionals, trained in trauma-informed care,  and armed with a toolbox of evidence-based solutions, is the only way we can end unsheltered homelessness in Dallas,” said Cindy Crain, President and CEO of MDHA. “The success of this effort could not be accomplished without strategic interagency collaboration, which has been developing over the course of 2016 into a true crisis response system, where we all work together, breaking down silos, and securing the best possible outcome for every individual,” she added.   

Today, as case managers and volunteers helped the remaining residents pack up, they were joined by five formerly unsheltered homeless from prior tent encampment closures who are now permanently housed.

Crain reflected, “Their presence gave residents a glimpse of hope and possibility of the results of accepting shelter, housing, treatment and services. Seeing is believing, and is critical to motivating and working through the ever present  trauma enforced fear and uncertainty of accepting assistance. The Street Outreach team gets better every day at the hard work that they do.”

MDHA and its partners will continue to work with these and other unsheltered individuals to get as many of them as possible off the streets and into shelter and housing. The overall impact of the successful, peaceful and housing-oriented closing of three encampments since the beginning of May 2016, will not be fully known before the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count, which will be led by MDHA on the night of Thursday, January 26, 2017.

In the last Count, conducted on the night of Thursday, January 21, 2016, MDHA counted 539 unsheltered homeless individuals in Dallas. In order to conduct a full and accurate count of the unsheltered homeless, this coming January, MDHA will need 1,000 volunteers, registered as teams of 3-5 persons. Registration will open mid-November. Those wishing to receive notification of such, should text keyword MDHA to 22828 to join MDHA’s mailing list. 

Volunteers needed: YOU CAN HELP!

PIT Volunteers: On Thursday night, January 21, 2016, 8:00pm–1:00am, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) will be conducting its annual Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count. The Count, a requirement under federal law, helps communities and the nation as a whole, identify and understand the extent and nature of homelessness, changing trends in this area, and the measure of our success in ending homelessness.

Results of the Count will be shared with the community during the “State of the Homeless Address” in March 2016. That night volunteers will fan out from a number of staging areas, across Dallas County, to count the unsheltered homeless, while partner agencies will count the sheltered homeless.

The volunteers will follow routes created with geographic information system (GIS) mapping software, canvassing under bridges, in parks, in cars, and in (safe to investigate) wooded areas and abandoned buildings, as well as other areas where persons may be seeking shelter from the cold. In order to conduct a full and accurate count of the unsheltered homeless, MDHA will need 750 volunteers, registered as teams of 3-5 persons. MDHA is actively seeking the help of the community in recruiting volunteers.

Please help us by posting the attached ad in as many places, as possible. This event, which requires a 4-6 hour one time commitment, makes for an excellent short term service project for congregations, companies, non-profits, service organizations, and neighborhood associations.

Advance online and on-site training will be provided. To sign up, go to: www.surveymonkey.com/r/DallasPIT.

For more information, go to: www.mdhadallas.org/2016-homeless-count/.
David S. Gruber
Development and Communications Director
Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance
O: 972-638-5603
C: 469-222-0047
David.Gruber@mdhadallas.org

End Homelessness – Support MDHA - www.mdhadallas.org 2816 Swiss Avenue Dallas, TX 75204

Understanding the road blocks

Listen to this insightful interview with Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance President and CEO, Cindy Crain. 

Help with annual homeless census

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: David Gruber, Development Manager, MDHA

469-222-0047, David.Gruber@mdhadallas.org 

 

2015 Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count

This Thursday, January 22, 2015

 

Dallas, Texas – If you happen to be standing in front of Dallas City Hall this coming Thursday, January 22, 2015 at 5pm, you will see an interesting sight. A few hundred people will gather in front of the building, only to then fan out into the night. Their mission? To count and survey those in our community who are experiencing homelessness. The Point-In-Time (PIT) Homeless Count in Dallas is conducted by the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA), and is a requirement under U.S. Law. 

 

In fact, during the final ten days of January such counts will take place in every community across our nation. The PIT, which occurs every year, allows communities and the nation as whole to track progress towards ending homelessness, and gather vital data about the needs of those experiencing homelessness. Dallas and the nation as a whole are committed to ending veteran homelessness this year and chronic homelessness next year.

 

Here in Dallas, MDHA’s grantees and partner agencies count guests and residents in shelters and housing sites, while the above mentioned community volunteers, escorted by Dallas police officers, locate and count those living elsewhere. Similar counts are conducted the same night by the Collin County Homeless Coalition and by the cities of Garland, Irving and Mesquite, who are all part the Dallas area Continuum of Care organization, which is led by MDHA.

 

MDHA still needs volunteers for this huge operation, which in Dallas is subsidized by the Real Estate Council Foundation. Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age, should wear clothing appropriate for the weather and comfortable shoes, and bring a flashlight, a pen, and a clipboard.

 

SIGN UP HERE TO TODAY TO VOLUNTEER:
http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0a4ea8ae2aa02-2015

 

For questions, contact Shavon Moore, at shavon.moore@mdhadallas.org or 972.638.5627  

 

2013 Homeless Count and Census

2013 Homeless Count and Census

It is once again time to conduct the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) annual homeless count and census. The census is conducted each year in the last ten days of January so that Dallas and Collin Counties can collect information on homeless residents.

With MDHA's renewed commitment to end Chronic Homelessness by 2015 and the Homeless Count and Census allows us to monitor our progress in achieving this goal. The Census helps us to complete a needs assessment for the community and encourage the development of programs to fill identified gaps. The information compiled during the census is also used by several other interested groups, including non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, media outlets and various departments in Federal, State and local government.

DATE:                          Thursday, January 24, 2013

 TIME:                           5:00 P.M. sign-in

SIGN-IN TRAINING LOCATION - New: Dallas City Hall – Cafeteria 7^th Floor – Supper will be available

SURVEY RETURN LOCATION:   L 1 F North Auditorium-Dallas City Hall

HOW TO HELP: Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age.  Those conducting the census should remember to wear clothing appropriate to the weather, comfortable shoes, bring a flashlight, writing pen, and clipboard.

                                   

Indoor Volunteer Team Member: Conducts the Homeless survey in an indoor location, such as an Emergency Shelter or Transitional Housing facility. Law enforcement professionals are not assigned to these teams, but a staff contact will be provided for teams who visit these locations and agency staff will be present.

Outdoor Volunteer Team Member: Conducts the survey outdoors in teams of two or three. Law enforcement personnel are assigned to each team for safety reasons. 

Setup and Sign-In Volunteers: At 4:00 P.M. on January 24, help setup the location and/or assist with sign-in and distribution of materials to all volunteers.

Data Entry Volunteers:  During the month of February fifteen days are scheduled for data entry.  If you are interested in assisting with this day-time opportunity; a schedule of dates and times will be emailed to you to register for one or more of the three-hour work sessions.

Training

Training on how to conduct the census will be provided for volunteers on the night of the Count. Volunteers will sign-in from 5:00 – 5:45 p.m., and training will begin promptly at 6:00 p.m. in the 7^th Floor Cafeteria.

Contact Information

Thank you for your interest! In order to volunteer or to receive more Information, please contact Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance at Phone: 972-638-5627 or E-mail: Shavon.Moore@MDHADallas.org

Help the Homeless in Dallas on Saturday, November 13

HELP THE HOMELESS WALKATHON & 5K

Saturday, November 13, 2010

City Hall Plaza in Downtown Dallas

Take steps to end homelessness and be a part of the Help the Homeless Walkathon & 5K in Downtown Dallas. Whether you walk as an individual, a corporate team, or a group, you CAN make a difference!

Proceeds from this year's WalkAThon & 5K will be used to support the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA), operators of The Bridge: Dallas' Way Back Home. People experiencing homelessness access opportunities at The Bridge, the area's only centralized multi-service campus for care and housing.

Be a part of the movement — Take steps to end chronic homelessness in Dallas by 2014. Everyone deserves the safety, security and pride of having a place to call home.

Click here for more information and to register or to become a sponsor now!

I hope to see you there!

Public Opinion Poll on Permanent Supportive Housing

Recently, the Metro Dallas HomelessAlliance commissioned a poll of Dallas residents to determine their attitudes and opinions regarding Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) and its development here in the city.  Here's what the pollsters discovered.

Poll Results

Survey results show that there is city-wide support, among Dallas voters, for permanent supportive housing (PSH) projects in their neighborhood. After hearing messages supporting and opposing PSH, 55% of respondents said they would support a PSH project in their neighborhood, while 38% said they would not be supportive.

The following five statements are the top reasons why Dallas voters would support putting a PSH project in their neighborhood:

1.  The organizations placing homeless individuals in permanent supportive housing projects will make sure the residents have demonstrated the ability to live on their own successfully.

73% of respondents were supportive of PSH after hearing this message

2.  Permanent supportive housing will help some of Dallas’ homeless population get back on the right track by providing services like counseling and health services.

73% of respondents were supportive of PSH after hearing this message

3.  Residents of permanent supportive housing projects must abide by lease agreements that prohibit them from any illegal activities and have consequences for anyone who breaks the lease terms.

71% of respondents were supportive of PSH after hearing this message

4.  Permanent supportive housing provides the necessary social services that these residents need all under one roof so they don't have to go to different locations throughout the City.

70% of respondents were supportive of PSH after hearing this message

5.  Permanent supportive housing projects have on-site services to provide the critical services these residents need to be good neighbors and successful members of their community.

69% of respondents were supportive of PSH after hearing this message

MDHA Dallas Poll Methodology

Calls were made over a three night period from August 6-8, 2010, to registered Dallas voters throughout each of the 14 council districts, with 350 completes. The margin of error for this survey is +/- 3%.

Gender Breakdown of Respondents:

Male 51%  Female 49%

Age Breakdown of Respondents:

18 to 35   2%
36 to 55   28%
56 to 75   47%
Over 75    22%

Reactions? 

German: Permanent Supportive Housing--clearly the way to go

This from the "This Week's Federal Player" column in The Washington Post that spotlights the work of Michael German, regional coordinator of the Atlanta Interagency Council on Homelessness and national captain of the regional coordinators' group:

"The key is not building more shelters, but more housing, even just small apartments or rooms, and hooking people up with available state and federal services such as Medicaid, Social Security, food stamps, veterans benefits or veterans health care," German said. Plus, he said building and maintaining a shelter "is actually more expensive than building or buying places for homeless people to live."

German visited Central Dallas Ministries and our Destination Home permanent supportive housing program earlier this year.

Read the entire report here.

Dallas needs to get with the program.

A hospital gown. . .

I serve on the board of directors at Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, the non-profit organization that operates our city's new homeless assistance center, The Bridge.

Last Thursday afternoon, I sat in a strategic planning committee session at The Bridge. We met in one of the new classrooms. One side of the room is almost all glass that provides a window onto the street just outside.

During our conversation, a woman walked down the sidewalk as she made her way to the front gate of the facility. She wore only a hospital patient gown with a matching outer robe, most likely just another bed gown creatively positioned to provide her at least a bit of modesty.

Identification and treatment wristbands still in place, she cradled a small box in her arms, no doubt containing some treasure she retrieved from her stay in the hospital.

What I saw on her person was likely all that she owned in the world.

I expect that she was dropped off at The Bridge by some health care provider who determined her stay was up. The chosen "after care plan" for her was a ride to our facility where she was gladly welcomed in.

Her passing reset the purpose of our meeting for me, rendering our detailed discussion of by-laws almost irrelevant, certainly comical.

At the same time, her life pressed on us a severe urgency that calls for the most extreme form of merciful compassion and community commitment.

As I watched her limp toward our door, I wondered how her story reads.

As I pondered her situation, it became very clear that the reasons and the details as to why she arrived in such a state just don't matter at all.

My sister has nothing but a hospital gown and a box of tissue.

What more do I need to understand?

The Bridge

I visited The Bridge last Wednesday night. Accompanying me were six other men who are my friends and who share a common commitment to seeing life improve for the homeless population here in Dallas.

Use the "Search" tool on this page or Google "The Bridge" to learn more about the new, city-owned facility. And, for full disclosure sake, you should know that I serve on the Board of Directors for the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, the organization responsible for its management and operations.

I wanted to go there at night. I wanted to be inside after the gates close. I wanted to see firsthand how things were going after about two months operation. While I had been there about once a week since it opened, I had never dropped in after dark.

Over 500 people were finding a place to sleep in the pavillion area that includes a covered shelter area with about 200 cots. The balance of the folk were sleeping on mats under the stars of the courtyard area. Another 100 were sheltered inside the transitional housing area of the facility.

As before when I've visited, I walked around for about an hour just talking to people--asking how they liked the place, how they were being treated, etc. Not surprisingly, most didn't want to be there. Most were eager to get out and off the streets.

There is no doubt that the facility has removed hundreds of people from the streets of Dallas, both at night and during the day. Driving down Young Street toward City Hall during the day, you can observe the noticeable disappearance of a large number of homeless persons, though a handfull persist in camping in their old familiar places. We're also told that "criminal activity" in the Downtown area has dropped significantly. Most of the eliminated offenses are acts of vagrancy that simply have to do with being human. Still, The Bridge provides a place of some respite, support and resources for those who are there.

In reality, the place is overwhelmed. Too many people in need, too little space, staff and resources to meet the demand.

I gave out lots of business cards and told people about our Destination Home effort that provides permanent, supportive housing to disabled individuals. Before I made it home, I had received two calls and the following day the phone rang steadily with calls from those who were interested.

While I could write much more about the experience, I came away with one fundamental understanding: as a community, we must develop, build, open hundreds of additional units of housing for the homeless. Additional housing resources will bring the numbers down at The Bridge. Permanent housing units will open the transitional function of The Bridge to the possibility of success.

Without more permanent, supportive housing, The Bridge will not be successful. Without housing resources that are easy to access, no matter how accomplished the management team, success will be impossible.

It is my firm belief that many, if not most, of the people I encountered during my most recent visit are currently ready for housing. That is not the question.

The real questions are these:

1. Does Dallas have the moral and political will to provide the resources to develop the housing that is needed? To meet the challenge and fulfill the need will take new dollars and new risk. But, every dollar invested will return a premium in terms of quality of life in our community for everyone.

2. And, can service providers come to understand that we aren't the secret to success in this endeavor? My experience teaches me that most people don't need me to improve their experience of life. Most need a fair opportunity and all need freedom to choose what services they will take advantage of. Housing first should become our mantra. Those who need special services can be assisted in finding them, but only AFTER they are housed.

We must find ways to break the logjam at The Bridge. To me, the solution is very clear: new determination coupled with a new vision for how we respond to the poorest among us.

.

Downtown sure enough going to the dogs!

Back when we first started working on our citywalk @ akard project to provide permanent supportive housing to the homeless and when the whole idea of the new homeless assistance center was battling for a spot in the Downtown development plan, lots of people mounted a campaign based on the claim that Downtown Dallas would be ruined by such projects.

Fear is seldom a good measure of reality.

I love what I read in The Dallas Morning News back on May 7, 2008, months after we began citywalk@ akard, and almost a year after the City of Dallas started work on The Bridge, our new homeless assistance center, which openned yesterday.

Here it is for your encouragement. One thing is certain: Downtown Dallas is not "going to the dogs" because of our work or that of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, the developers of The Bridge!

_______________________________

Developers plan apartment projects near Dallas Farmers Market
11:06 PM CDT on Wednesday, May 7, 2008
By STEVE BROWN / The Dallas Morning News stevebrown@dallasnews.com

Developers are sizing up two key tracts near the Dallas Farmers Market, planning to construct hundreds of apartments.

California-based Legacy Partners has contracted to purchase about seven acres at Central Expressway and Interstate 30.

"We are going to build 460 apartment units," said Spencer Stuart, who heads Legacy Partners' Dallas regional office. "We think that is a real up-and-coming area."

It would be the largest development in that area since Houston-based Camden Property Trust built its Farmers Market rental community in 1999. The project was expanded in 2004.

Apartment builder Trammell Crow Residential is negotiating to purchase a four-acre tract on Pearl Street for more apartments.

Crow Residential officials said it was too early to talk about plans for the vacant property, which is just north of the Farmers Market sheds.

The city of Dallas is investing in the future of the historic produce market, having committed about $10 million toward improvements in the complex, which dates to the 1940s.

The addition of hundreds more residents to the area should add to customer traffic at the market, which has been lagging in recent years.

Property in the area has been selling for between $30 and $40 per square foot.
"We looked at land one mile away at more than $100," Mr. Stuart said.

Legacy Partners – which is finishing up a large apartment community in Richardson's Telecom Corridor – is planning an urban-style rental complex on the Farmers Market site that will be aimed at younger renters.

"This is going to be ... a lot different than anything down there," Mr. Stuart said.
________________________________________

Just for the record, these new development plans target an area just a few short blocks from The Bridge!

I love it!

What do ya know?

Maybe we can all live together after all!

Could Dallas finally become a real city?

.

Dallas Homeless Census 2008

What follows comes to us from the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance. If you live in or near Dallas, you might want to consider being involved in this unusual process. The "point in time" census of our homeless population is very important to the work we are doing to end chronic homelessness in Dallas by 2014.

It is once again time to conduct the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) annual Homeless Count & Census.

The census is conducted each year in the last week of January so that Dallas and Collin County can collect information on our homeless residents.

With MDHA's renewed commitment to end Chronic Homelessness by 2014 and the opening of the Homeless Assistance Center in April 2008, the Homeless Count & Census allows us to monitor our progress in achieving this goal. The Census helps us to complete a needs assessment for the community and encourage the development of programs to fill identified gaps. The information compiled during the census is also used by several interested groups, including non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, media outlets and various departments in Federal, State & local government.

DATE: Tuesday, January 22, 2008

TIME: 5:30 P.M. – 12:00 A.M. (subject to slight changes if needed, most volunteers are able to leave by 10:30 p.m.)

LOCATION: Dallas City Hall – 1500 Marilla, L1 F North Auditorium (park in City Hall underground parking off Young Street and enter through the GREEN door.)

HOW TO HELP: Volunteers are needed for both the indoor and outdoor census.

Indoor Volunteer Team Member: Conducts the homeless survey in an indoor location, such as an emergency shelter or transitional housing facility. Law enforcement professionals are not assigned to these teams, but a staff contact will be provided for teams who visit these locations and agency staff will be present.

Outdoor Volunteer Team Member: Conducts the survey outdoors in teams of 3. Law enforcement personnel are also assigned to each team for safety reasons.

Training

Training on how to conduct the census will be provided for volunteers on the night of the census. Volunteers will begin signing in from 5:30 – 6:00, and should arrive no later than 5:45 P.M. in order to receive all of the information presented.

Contact Information

Thank you for your interest! In order to volunteer for the Homeless census or to receive more information, please contact Kit Lowrance at Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance:

Phone: 214-978-0002
E-mail: klowrance@unitedwaydallas.org