Building Dallas’ Homeless Response System - Where We Are and Where We Are Going

Where We Are:

Systems:

• Established a community strategic work plan, to build an effective homeless response system for Dallas, aligned with Opening Doors, the national strategic plan to end homelessness.
• Laid the groundwork for a Coordinated Access (or Assessment) System - CAS, a system where 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.  
• As Dallas awaits federal funding necessary to fully deploy its CAS, it has already deployed the core of the system, the housing priority list, actively managed by a dedicated expert. Once a person is assessed and has all documentation needed to be housed, they go on to this dynamic list. Housing programs populate their housing units exclusively from that list, as quickly as possible, in order of priority.

Data:

• Developed a partnership with PCCI for an HMIS customized to Dallas, rolling out in the second half of 2016, to get much higher quality and quantity of data necessary to better track performance and drive improvement in programs serving more than 8,800 clients annually.
• Brought Austin Street Center into HMIS, growing shelter coverage from 3% to 25%.
• Marshaled 600-700 volunteers for Dallas’ most comprehensive Homeless Count to date.

Capacity:

• Instituted new learning, training and development opportunities for homeless providers.
• Founded the MDHA Flex Fund, to pay for minor but impactful expenses that can help individuals resolve their homelessness.
• Led the peaceful and housing-oriented clearing of Tent City, housing as many residents as possible, facilitating the sheltering of many who could not yet be housed, and creating a name by name list to follow up with everyone to ensure they are eventually housed.

Where We Are Going:

Systems:

• The Dallas Commission on Homelessness is marshalling the support of the community for building out an effective homeless response system.
• Build an updated 2016-2017 strategic work plan, building on the lessons of the last 15 months, and the existing strategic work plan.
• Fully build out and deploy Dallas’ Coordinated Access (or Assessment) System - CAS

Data:

• Roll out the new PCCI HMIS, to achieve higher quality and quantity of data necessary to better track performance and drive improvement in programs serving the homeless.
• Bring all shelters and other service providers into HMIS, growing shelter coverage, as close as possible to 100%.
• Marshal 1,000 volunteers for Dallas’ most comprehensive Homeless Count to date in January 2017.

Capacity:

• Continue to enhance knowledge and performance of homeless providers through learning, training and development opportunities.
• Grow MDHA Flex Fund, to pay for minor but impactful expenses that can help individuals resolve their homelessness.
• Build robust street outreach, to proactively engage, shelter and house unsheltered individuals through MDHA’s CAS.
• Facilitate action by the City of Dallas and other related entities creating more permanent supportive housing and affordable housing.