In line in the middle of the night

CitySquare receives funding from the City of Dallas to provide rental and utility assistance to families in danger of losing their housing and "falling off" into homelessness.  The funds come as part of the Homeless Prevention and Rapid Re-Housing  Program (HPRP).  Led by CitySquare team member, Michelle Kopel, this initiative will allow us to provide housing assistance and financial planning of almost $1 million by the time this round of funding ends. 

We literally are preventing homelessness through this effort. 

And, the demand is very high. 

Recently, I learned that candidates for the assistance and the emotional/spiritual care (a really important aspect of the effort) begin lining up as early as 3 a.m. in order to be sure of enrolling in the program! 

3 a.m.?

Yes, that early.

Here's a note we received from Michelle a couple of weeks ago:

We screen the first 10 people usually on Wednesday and Friday. . . . This is done on a first come, first serve basis. Our voice mail does say this, and we do try to answer all calls.  This can be a challenge. I receive about 100 to125 per day!!

In order to qualify, the zip code must begin with 752, a late notice, eviction or disconnect must be seen @ time of screening. Also all persons in household must be documented citizens. . . . Lastly we can only assist with people who are leasing not buying.

We have been told the line begins @3am on screening days. I usually go hand out 10#’s at 8am so the other’s can leave or stay for food. We try to keep the playing field fair, and we are open to any suggestions that will allow us to serve our neighbors in a better way. . . . M. Kopel

The need is very real in the heart of our city. 

home

I suppose all living things possess the instinct to "nest." Everyone wants a home--a place that provides rest, safety and renewal, a place for young to arrive and thrive.

A family of Mockingbirds built this nest in a tree just outside our front door. Throughout the year I've watched and listened as the birds would come and go from the home they built for themselves and their young.

Home.

Powerful idea.

Nothing shapes a child more than the environment in and around a house. And, I am coming to understand that the physical environment plays an extremely important role in the development of children and communities.

Here are some sobbering facts of life about housing in the city of Dallas.

9,386 families (1.71%) in our city are classified as "extremely low income"--meaning they earn below 30% of the Median Family Income (MFI) of the area or less than $19,500.

72,406 families (13.19%) in Dallas are classified as "very low income"--meaning their earn between 30 and 50% MFI or between $19,500 and $32,500.

164,946 families (30.05%) in the city are classified as "low income"--meaning they earn between 50 and 80% MFI or between $32,500 and $52,000.

Of course, income levels tell only a small part of the story. Another key consideration involves the concentration of poverty in dense pockets across the inner city. Ironically, in many of the neighborhoods where poverty is the most dense, there are opportunities for more people to return, to live and to help renew such areas. People would enjoy higher quality lives for themselves and their children if we learned how to create mixed income neighborhoods all across the city.

One thing is certain: we must face the challenges of inner city housing together if we are going to make progress as a community.

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Failing capital markets and the extremely poor

Working on our housing effort in Downtown Dallas (City Walk @Akard) taught us a great deal about how hard it is to provide high-quality, affordable housing for the working poor and the homeless.

Even though we had millions of dollars lined up and secured, we found the entire closing process almost impossible, a clear signal to us that the credit markets were restricting dramatically earlier this year.

Going forward it seems clear that working out housing programs to benefit those most in need of good places to live will become more and more difficult, if not impossible, at least in the short term.

To be clear, the units I have in mind here are rental, not for sale.

As is usually the case, those at the bottom of the nation's economic life suffer disproportionately at times like the present.

Due to a lack of organization, necessary resources and political influence, folks at the bottom suffer, often in extreme circumstances.

Most of us don't or refuse to recognize or acknowledge their desperate plight. The poor have a way of suffering in relative silence and resignation.

A large part of our mission as a faith-based organization is to hear and acknowledge what is going on among our poorest neighbors and, then, to stand with them in attempting to make things better.

In short, it's always about much, much more than just charity.

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Poverty simulation

On Monday, June 2, 2008, Dallas Social Venture Partners (DSVP) and Central Dallas Ministries (CDM) hosted a 2- hour Poverty Simulation at CDM’s headquarters.

In all, DSVP involved 41 participants in the simulation, each assuming the role of a family member or individual living in a low-income family trying to survive from month-to- month. The object of the simulation was to sensitize participants to the realities faced by low-income people and the choices of the working poor.

Sixteen clients and staff of Transition Resource Action Center and CDM served as staff for the resource agencies and services, such as Banker/Loan Collector, Pay Day/Quick Cash Lender, Super Center Clerk, Utility Collector, Police Officer, and Child Care Worker.

The simulation began with an introduction and briefing by Terri Walker, an educational consultant and trained facilitator from Region 10 followed by the actual simulation exercise where participants took part in four 15-minute “work weeks.” A debriefing period followed the exercise where participants and staff volunteers shared their feelings and experiences about taking part in the simulation. Below are a few comments from the experience:

“It helped me see the huge challenges many in our community face every day. The biggest problem is lack of knowledge – where to go for help, what are the rules, how do you get there, when do you get there?” – Donna Hegdahl, President, The TransSynergy Group

“This was a humbling experience that gives you an on the ground appreciation of living on the edge, pay check to pay check. We discovered, in many ways the system works against you. And, where it works in your favor, you either aren’t aware or don’t take advantage of what is offered.” – Pete Meldrum, Outcomes Coaching

“Spending two hours as a teen mother without a job or family support brought home immediately how difficult life can be to just financially and emotionally survive a month at a time….What a revealing experience. I highly encourage others to participate the next time they have the opportunity.” – Ellen Wood, DSVP Partner & Social Entrepreneur

“It is amazing how the short time frame of the Poverty Simulation allows one to vividly experience not having enough time, money, and other resources to accomplish tasks necessary to provide adequate shelter and food.” - Susan H. Morrissey, CEO & COE, Bell Janitorial Supplies & Services, Inc.

CDM thanks our good and creative partners at DSVP for their support, creative energy and commitment to cutting deeply into the poverty that presses against so many of the people we know and love in inner city Dallas. For more information about DSVP, visit www.dsvp.org.

Anyone out there who has been involved in or hosted something like our poverty simulation? Let's hear from you.
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HUD

A couple of weeks ago, John Greenan and I visited the Dallas Friday Group luncheon. This unique lunch group meets once a month for lunch and a guest speaker.

Alphonso Jackson, Secretary of the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) spoke the Friday we attended.

Mr. Jackson knows Dallas. He served for several years as the President and CEO for the Dallas Housing Authority, where he served with distinction and considerable professional acclaim.

After his election in 2000, President Bush named Jackson HUD's Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer. Then, on March 31, 2004, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed Jackson as the nation's 13th Secretary of HUD.

One of Jackson's priorities as Secretary has been to promote programs and means for increasing home ownership in the nation.

I've found myself objecting to a number of HUD's funding policies, not because of the focus on home ownership, but because such programs have been funded by removing money previously reserved for the poorest of our citizens who cannot buy homes, but who remain in need of high-quality, affordable housing.

Still, it was interesting to hear the Secretary and to visit with him briefly over and after lunch.

We are grateful for HUD. We've been working with them in various capacities since 1996 here in Dallas. Today we have a number of housing grants that allow us to open new doors for better housing to the individualas and families with whom we work.

We are especially grateful for HUD's local expression, the Dallas Housing Authority. Ann Lott, DHA's current CEO, is a great partner.