Crain was introduced by
Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, the city’s former “homeless czar”, who shared
remarks and pledged his support in word and deed to support MDHA’s efforts to
end homelessness. Crain called on MDHA Board Member and homeless advocate,
Ricky Redd to share some of his knowledge gained through lived experience as a
person experiencing homelessness. Redd elicited tears as well as laughter, as
he movingly spoke of what he learned and what are the most pressing needs of
those experiencing homelessness. Crain’s address was followed by public
comments and questions.
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| Ricky Redd |
Crain opened with the
purpose of the address: To review what we know, and how this will influence our
decisions, to be honest about the challenges we deal with, and to welcome
insights from the community on how we can make homelessness rare, brief and
non-recurring. The numbers she shared were
sobering. The 2016 Point–in-Time Homeless
Count conducted in late January, indicated an increase of 24% in the
homeless population in Dallas and Collin Counties
Some of the most interesting
data collected during the Count was from surveys, which the more than 700
volunteers in both counties administered to those they counted. One of the more
sobering statistics was that of 358 unsheltered persons who were willing to
share if they had experience in the criminal justice system, 75% had answered
yes. This enforces the idea that with mass incarceration, we are creating a “prison
to poverty and homelessness pipeline”. Of the 387 responses regarding health,
48% reported significant health conditions.
Crain discussed the lessons
MDHA has accumulated from working with the residents of the Tent City under the
I-45 Bridge, specifically highlighting the importance of increased professional
street outreach and interagency collaboration, to help house as many people as
possible.
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| Cindy Crain |
Crain highlighted the
tension between short term needs and long term housing solutions. She
emphasized that the question, “What is your housing plan?” must become a mantra
that pushes everyone towards housing, with services that support smooth
transition and permanence in housing. She also reminded the assembled that true
solutions lie in systemic and systematic changes, like Coordinated Assessment,
a system through which all persons are assessed, using a common, uniform,
objective and evidence based assessment tool, so they may be prioritized for
service and matched with the services that will best help end their homelessness
as quickly as possible. (MDHA is currently running a blog post series
that explains how this federally required system will help end homelessness.)
In this context, Crain
referenced MDHA’s partnership with PCCI, a
nationally recognized leader in creating information systems that connect
community based organizations with healthcare organizations to create an
integrated community wide system of care. Together, MDHA and PCCI are creating
a new Homeless Management Information System, customized to the needs of the Dallas
Crain ended her address
emphasizing the need for all members of the community to work together. Without
collaboration, cooperation and coordination of information and services, she
stressed, we will keep more people homeless longer. By working together we, as
a community, and each of us individually, can and must do better.
Crain’s PowerPoint
presentation is available on the State of the Homeless
Address 2016 page on MDHA website, and a full video recording of the
proceedings will be available there later this week.
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