NIMBY strikes again. . .even Downtown

It just never fails.

Here's how the process almost always works out:

1. Propose a first class, beautifully designed housing asset.  Fact:  In most cases such plans involve dramatic improvement of the existing real estate chosen for such a project. 

2. Determine that said asset will provide homes, that's right homes, for very poor persons; yes, even formerly homeless persons. [This is a fact that for some reason escapes the ordinary citizen: once a person has a home, a roof over his/her head, they can no longer be considered homeless, but I digress.]

3.  Work hard to align sources with intended uses and put together the financial dimensions and details of the plan. 

4.  Line up necessary support for financing.  Almost all major, significant developments like what's in mind here require both public financing and political support. 

5.  Communicate your plans and intentions to the public, with special attention to the neighborhood surrounding the purposed development. 

6.  Batten down the hatches, dive for cover and prepare for an assault on your plans!

As I say, it almost never fails. 

Folks may say they favor permanent housing for the very poor, the homeless.  But any hint that such a development is planned for anywhere near their property, home, business, or school and you'll witness incredible opposition. 

The latest example of such opposition was reported in last Sunday's edition of The Dallas Morning News ("Uneasy neighbors," Metro section 1B, 4B, April 8, 2012). 

Happy Easter, Dallas! 

In this case the main, reported opposition comes from the Dallas Farmers Market, more accurately from the "Dallas Farmers Market Friends" and the "Dallas Farmers Market Stakeholders Association,"  both fine citizens' groups, I'm sure. 

The project in question connects at least indirectly with CitySquare since John Greenan, Central Dallas Community Development Corporation, is one of the developers.  CitySquare organized the Central Dallas CDC in 2001 to serve the community in developing first-class, affordable housing.  Since the completion of CityWalk @Akard, the CDCDC continues to be involved in a number of projects to provide permanent supportive housing to the homeless of Dallas. 

You will find the news story here. 

Let me know what you think after you've read it.

100K Homes Campaign at CitySquare!

Join CitySquare and Common Ground for a Discussion on Homelessness and Housing

Communities across the country have joined the 100K Homes Campaign, which aims to find permanent housing for 100,000 of the most medically vulnerable homeless Americans by July of 2013. Together, these communities, including over 3,000 volunteers, are part of a growing movement and have already helped nearly 11,150 homeless people into permanent homes. Will Dallas be a part of this campaign? Join us for the conversation with a guest speaker and question and answer session. Click here to learn more about the campaign.

Speaker: Linda Kaufman, Eastern U.S. Field Organizer, 100K Homes Campaign

Linda has worked in homeless services in D.C. for over 25 years; most recently leading Pathways to Housing D.C. In addition to her work to end homelessness in D.C., she is also involved in other issues of social justice in the City. She was deeply involved in the District’s Housing First Initiative, overseeing street outreach, administering the Vulnerability Index, and providing one Permanent Supportive Housing team at Pathways for 150 tenants.

WHEN: Tuesday, November 8, 2011 from 10- 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: CityWalk@Akard, 511 N. Akard Street; 3rd Floor, Glaze Community Room. Light refreshments will be served.

RSVP: Lisa Ciminelli, Director of Social Work Services, CitySquare 214-828-2696, Ext. 127

Parking and Check-In Instructions: Parking is available for $5 in the lots behind our building. Check in at the front desk in the lobby and you will be escorted to the 3rd floor.

About CitySquare:
CitySquare exists to fight the root causes of poverty while partnering with those in need. Working together as a community, we feed the hungry, heal the sick, house the homeless and renew hope in the heart of our city. www.CitySquare.org

About Common Ground:
Common Ground’s network of well designed, affordable apartments — linked to the services people need to maintain their housing, restore their health, and regain their economic independence — has enabled more than 4,000 individuals to overcome homelessness. http://www.commonground.org/

Street doctor

This is the real deal! Reminds me of Dr. Jim Walton who makes house calls on the urban poor and staffs a weekly clinic here at CityWalk.   Health care reform calls for a new commitment to healing and respecting healthcare and basic wellness as a human right.

Lazarus reprise

So, we've been looking for "Lazarus" (see yesterday's post) over the past week or so.  He was nowhere to be found. . .until late Tuesday afternoon. 

As I left the T. Boone Pickens YMCA after working out, I spotted him seated on a sidewalk bench at the corner of San Jacinto and Ervay, in the shadow of the gigantic First Baptist Church.  Immediately I contacted Lisa Ciminelli, Director of Social Work Services at CitySquare and asked her to join us for a conversation.  While waiting for her to arrive, I talked to the man I've called "Lazarus." 

In fact, his name is Eddie. 

He came to Dallas 12 years ago from a city in another part of the country. 

With pride he informed me that back home he was state Golden Gloves champ three years running. 

He's been on the street for 10 years. 

About two years ago he suffered a stroke. 

The street is mean, like a cruel machine designed to eat up and compromise life an hour at a time.

We'll keep working with our friend in a manner that seems best to him. 

To be honest, I hope he will soon be able to move into our building across the street from the corner he's been calling home for far too long. 

We need Eddie inside. 

I'll keep you posted.

A death

Yesterday we discovered that one of our residents at CityWalk had passed away in his apartment.  He had been dead for several hours we were told. 

I won't refer to him by name so as to protect his identity.  His name is important to us.  Sadly, it was not known to nearly enough other people. 

A number of other residents missed seeing him.  They brought his absence to the attention of property management and to us.  We discovered his body upon entering his home. 

He was basically a loner. 

He was almost 67 years old. 

He lived on his Social Security income that amounted to $9,627 annually, $802 monthly.  His housing was subsidized by a housing voucher provided by the Dallas Housing Authority. 

He stood 5' 11" and weighed 140 pounds, a thin, wisp of a fellow. 

Pleasant.  Minded his own business. 

I wish we had done a better job of knowing him. 

He died in his own home, not on some side street or behind some building downtown.   For that we are grateful. 

But, his life is a loss.  His life mattered. 

I just wish I had really known him. 

His friends in the building grieved.  That's what communities do. 

10 things you need to know to live on the streets. . .

Here is one of The Nation magazine's famous or infamous "Ten Things" columns.  Thanks to my friend, Don Williams for directing me to it. 

If you care about homelessness and homeless persons, you must read this one!  Just click here to do so.

As always, I'd love to hear your reactions.

Justice Revival Dallas. . .who'll step up and how?

Gerald Britt, VP of Public Policy here at Central Dallas Ministries, published the following essay on the Op-Ed pages of The Dallas Morning News on last Tuesday, December 15:

After the Justice Revival

This isn't a criticism, just a reality: Getting church leaders across denominational, theological, racial, geographic, class and ideological barriers to work together can be like getting cats to march in a parade. But that is the challenge in the aftermath of Dallas' Justice Revival.

The Justice Revival is a concept introduced in the book The Great Awakening by Jim Wallis, the leader of the progressive Christian organization Sojourners. It harkens back to church revivals that resulted in spiritual conversions and social justice movements that helped bring about the abolition of slavery; produced child labor laws; and addressed issues of public health and poverty in northern slums area.

Can churches still provide the spark that ignites a spiritual-based revival with social implications in Dallas?

Although attendance goals for the November gathering fell short of expectations, the Justice Revival was always promoted as more than a specific event. The real test will be whether churches achieve their goals involving education and housing for the homeless. That, in turn, involves how well participating congregations are able to draw the distinction between "justice" and "charity."

The November "Day of Service" focused on deploying Justice Revival participants throughout the city to help with service projects at schools and Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance's March to Help the Homeless. These weekend events were meant to symbolize commitment through acts of compassion. Justice, however, means addressing the failures of the systems associated with these issues.

The spiritual "great awakening" – of which this revival should be both symbol and catalyst – should seek to play a more robust role than simply being campus volunteers. Substantive engagement regarding public education is a vital need in our schools.

We all should heed and repeat former DISD board president Sandy Kress' warning that this involvement avoid becoming "charity around the edges" of much-needed reform. Churches must be careful not to be used to mask real systemic failures with feel-good success stories or to be relegated to the margins, where real impact is almost impossible.

Serious involvement demands rejecting stereotypes of poor families, instead listening and becoming allies with parents in their dreams for their children's future. It means dealing with issues of health and safety as well as asking whether schools have textbooks and up-to-date technology. It should involve helping parents understand the relationship between classroom grades and standardized testing. Plus partnering with existing community programs to provide enrichment opportunities to enhance classroom learning. It could mean establishing academies to help parents better understand school culture, the politics of public education and parental rights and responsibilities within the school system.

In short, congregations should bring an appetite for tough-minded engagement as well as tenderhearted volunteerism.

Justice Revival congregations also are asked to lead the way in supporting Dallas' official goal to provide 700 units of affordable housing, a goal that should be embraced by the entire city. Churches can be invaluable allies, educating themselves on effective strategies addressing the problem that can be adopted here in Dallas. Churches also can promote the housing goal as an opportunity for a ministry of inclusion.

Most important, churches can work with city officials and nonprofits to make this housing a reality. That starts with congregations recognizing the homeless among us as fellow citizens and thus serving as advocates to build support within their respective communities for the housing.

Justice Revival congregations' impact can be totally out of proportion to the event attendance itself if their commitment to justice is as great as their compassion.
__________________

So, what do you think?

Hal Samples and Willie Baronet: HOME

Picked this up from Front Burner, the DMagazine blog site.

Hal Samples has a studio next door to the Main Street offices of the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation.


Willie Baronet Exhibit at Hal Samples' Gallery from Cindy Chaffin on Vimeo.

"Church Growth"

Dr. Joe Clifford, Senior Minister at First Presbyterian Church in Downtown Dallas, has been stirring things up a bit since he hit town a few months back.

It seems that the good Reverend takes exception to the City of Dallas' efforts to, as he says, "criminalize" homelessness. He objects vigorously to the recently enacted panhandling ordinance, saying that the way to address the problems facing the homeless poor is not by writing citations or hauling folks off to jail for a few hours.

No, Joe wants us to consider alternatives like adequate funding for mental health services, substance abuse treatment, counseling and permanent supportive housing development. You know, approaches that actually work!

Joe's a unique guy in these parts.

But, he takes it further. He argues that addressing homelessness in these more comprehensive and pro-active ways will be just as good for Downtown business and redevelopment as it is for the homeless. And, get this, it will cost a lot less with more return on investment than our current approach.

I agree with him on all counts! Joe's just right.

The needs are clear. The cost-benefit analysis for Dallas lines up with the experience and data of other cities we've studied. The fact is, it is just cheaper to work with and care for our homeless brothers and sisters than it is to fine them and treat them like they are criminals.

Not long ago, in response to the City's crackdown on the street population, Joe opened his church's parking lot at night to his homeless neighbors so that they could bed down in safety for some rest. Interesting, this notion of parking lot as sanctuary, don't you think?

It is my understanding that in a recent Sunday morning sermon to his congregation ("Living Out in the Open," October 14, 2007) Joe noted, "We are up to four Porta-Potties now – a new way to measure church growth!"

This guy is a creative, honest spokesman for what is simply right for our community.

Here's my prayer: that more communities of faith would begin to employ significant metrics, like Porta-Potties, when measuring their growth as congregations.

Keep speaking truth, Joe. We love you over here!

.

A neighbor

Living in my inner city neighborhood feels a lot like a small town. It reminds me of my childhood in, what was then, small town Richardson, population about 1,200.

No matter where I go around here, I run into people I know and who know me.

Saturday evening, I stopped at the Chevron station at Carroll and Live Oak. As I filled my car's gas tank, Buford approached me intending to ask if he could wash my windows in exchange for pocket change.

As he approached with squeegee in hand, he recognized me.

"Well, hey there, Preacher," he said, as if that were my name, with a sense of relief that he knew me and that I knew him. "How you been?"

Before I could answer, he broke into a conversation about the Central Dallas Church and its move and how he had not been able to find it. I reminded him again, as I had the last time we talked, of its new location.

I asked him if he was ever going to get off the streets. He just hung and shook his head, all in one motion.

I'd really like to help you," I told him.

"I'm going to give you some money and you're gonna go buy some food and a drink, or whatever," I continued. "But, I know that doesn't really help you!"

"Hey, Preacher, I'm going to have a beer before the nights over," he explained, "but, I won't use your money for the beer."

"I don't care if you buy a beer with my money," I told him, to his surprise, "All I care about is seeing you get off this street. I like you and I know you like me. Right?" I asked.

"Yeah, thanks, sure, right," he replied with a big smile, as he crossed himself and touched his heart with both hands, his street version of the sign of the cross.

So, why do you stay out here?" I pressed him.

He hung his head again.

I told him about apartments we now have available for him and others like him. I explained what he needed to do to get one.

"I can work for it, Preacher," he offered with some new enthusiasm.

His quick assurance reminded me that everyone, almost, wants to work for what they receive. Everyone maintains some measure of pride and self-respect no matter what their baggage.

"Just come by my office next week and let's get you into one," I urged him.

We talked some more.

As we talked, a realization swept over me.

He was my neighbor and my friend, and he regarded me the same.

He just wanted to talk. He didn't want me to leave. He needed my friendship. We talked for a long time before I had to leave.

If we have a chance of changing things for him, it resides in this reality.

For years I've been trying to help him move off the streets. For years it hasn't happened.

He told me that his companion of many years, Darlene, had passed away. Darlene, a haggard woman who lived the last of years of her life in a wheelchair that he pushed everywhere, had meant everything to Buford.

"I miss her a lot," he shared.

"I'm really sorry," I told him.

When he sensed that I had to go, he threw his arms around me and gave me a big bear hug. He wished me well and said he'd come by to talk some more.

Being in the same neighborhood makes us neighbors. I'm hoping that we can find a way together to get him into an apartment he can call home. He deserves better than camping on the streets of our small part of this huge city.

Driving away, I realized that Buford only wants what I want: to be loved, to matter to someone and to be heard and understood.

We're all the same.

Homeless: The Dallas No One Wants to See

Central Dallas Ministries produced this video for use during our recent mayoral forum and prayer breakfast.

It tells part of the life story of five people who have struggled with homelessness for many years. Some have been on the streets of Dallas for years. All of these people are becoming our friends, all have been regular attendees at our monthly Urban Engagement Book Club.

At present, we are working to secure permanent housing for each of them. Their words are more than worth your time.



If you experience difficulty playing the video here, please visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N616cwdxAoE

Remember our friends today.

Thanks to Justin Malone and Malone Media for their devotion to CDM, and for the many hours that they spent on this project.

Permanent Housing: Cost benefit clear

Set aside the moral and humanitarian aspects of developing permanent housing for the homeless.

Go to the bottom line. That is an approach everyone in Dallas will understand!

Denver can teach us. As a matter of fact, we could go to school on a number of cities in the United States in this regard.

But, let's just stick with Denver for now.

A recent study of Denver's "housing first" program reveals some very interesting results.

The program is now two years old.

The strategy is clear and determined. The most hard-core homeless persons have been placed in permanent housing and steered toward treatment for mental illness and addictive behaviors.

During the two years prior to entering the program, these men and women cost the city $43,239 each in city services provided, including trips to hospital emergency rooms, inpatient treatment in a city hospital, trips to detox centers and nights in jail. In addition to this, prior to obtaining housing of their own, participants spent an average of 274 nights in the city's homeless shelters at a cost of $25 per night, per person.

During the two year period after they received housing of their own, the tab billed to the city per person fell to $11,694.

The per person cost of the Housing First program to the city came in at $13,800 and included both housing and treatment/social services expenses.

City officials project a net cost savings of $3.4 million over a two year period if all of the hard-core, chronically homeless in Denver were enrolled in Housing First.

Study after study from across the nation report similar findings.

Philip Mangano, Executive Director of the U. S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, reports that, ". . .we're learning the cost of housing the chronically homeless and providing services are less expensive than letting these folks remain homeless and ricochet through services." Mr. Mangano said basically the same thing yesterday here in Dallas when he spoke during groundbreaking ceremonies for our city's new Homeless Assistance Center.

Mangano noted that a study out of San Diego reported that 18 chronically homeless persons cost the city $3 million over a 18 month period.

"They could have rented ocean-side condos with sweeping views and provided them with concierge services for that amount of money," he concluded.

Cities like Dallas need to work smarter.

Permanent housing doesn't cost as much as on-going, intensive social and community services.

Housing is a sound community investment.

Housing is what we need. And we need it now.