This morning it was a
wonderful pleasure to attend the meeting of the Dallas County Commissioners Court, where
a resolution was adopted honoring our leader and friend, President and CEO of
MDHA, Michael M. Faenza. You may view video of the proceedings, once they are
posted, at http://www.dallascounty.org/department/comcrt/agenda/agenda.php.
Quite characteristically of
Mike, when given the opportunity to speak, he spoke very little about what he
did, instead highlighting the work each of the commissioners has done in areas
of social justice, and thanking the staff of MDHA for their work. In the spirit
of social justice, Mike mentioned that he had often been an “agitator”, to which
Commissioner Price responded, to the hearty laughs of the assembled, that
without an agitator the wash does not come out clean! Commissioner Price also
mentioned the acceptance of the Dallas
area Continuum of Care to the Zero: 2016 initiative, about which we posted last
week on this blog.
Here is the text of the
resolution, which Commissioner Price read aloud, and the court unanimously approved:
BE IT REMEMBERED, at a regular meeting of the
Commissioners Court of Dallas County, Texas, held on the 11th day of November
2014 on motion made by John Wiley Price, Commissioner of District No. 3… the
following Resolution was adopted:
Whereas Michael M. Faenza, President and CEO
of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA), and a national leader in the area
of mental health for the past 35 years, will retire from MDHA effective January
1, 2015; and
Whereas MDHA is an association of
organizations devoted to ending homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties, by
putting people into homes, facilitating over $16,750,000 of annual federal
funding, coordinating services, and driving improvement in more than 45
different transitional programs; and
Whereas Mike Faenza, a distinguished alumnus
of the University of Texas at Arlington Graduate School of Social Work, was a
fixture of the Dallas social service scene from 1979 to 1993. He was the first
vocational coordinator for Dallas County Mental Health Mental Retardation
(MHMR) Center, Executive and Clinical Director of the Letot Center
for runaway youth, within the Dallas County Juvenile Department, and Executive
Director of the Mental Health Association (MHA) of Greater Dallas. He was then elevated
to President and CEO of the National MHA in Washington, D.C., a position he
served in for 14 years; and
Whereas Mike Faenza returned to Dallas in 2007 to serve
as the President and CEO of MDHA. Under Faenza’s leadership, MDHA took The
Bridge, Dallas’ state of the art, $28 million homeless intake and service center,
from a mere idea on paper to a fully functioning institution that today serves
as a model for other cities around the country; and
Whereas Working with the community to bring
$17 million annually back to Dallas from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development for use in providing permanent supportive housing, while
creatively adding hundreds of units of housing for the homeless in partnership
with the Dallas Housing Authority, Mike has distinguished himself as a fierce
and innovative leader. During his tenure at MDHA, Faenza oversaw an increase in PSH units of about 350%, from
600 to 2050, a continued drop in chronic homelessness to 65% below where it was
in 2004, and an improvement of more than 30% in PSH services in just the last
three years; and
Whereas Through a partnership with the
Dallas Housing Authority, MDHA prioritized the housing of those experiencing
homelessness, and have housed more than 3400 formerly homeless individuals and families.
In monetary terms, with an average rent of $700 per month, DHA’s investment
tops $28,000,000 annually. This is a direct result of Mike Faenza and MDHA’s
“forward thinking”; and
Whereas Mike Faenza has continuously
emphasized that the fight against homelessness is just a piece of the puzzle,
in the general fight against poverty. Earlier this year he stated, “Dallas
still has some of the highest poverty rates in the country, affordable housing
is scarce, and the mental health provider reimbursement system is dismally
underfunded.” Indeed, throughout his tenure, it has been important to Faenza to
remind the community that ending homelessness, will not make these larger problems
go away; and
Whereas Mike Faenza will remain with MDHA in
a consulting role as the agency searches for his successor and then move into a
consulting practice; and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Dallas County Commissioners
Court does hereby extend sincere appreciation to Michael M. Faenza for his
contribution to the homeless in our community with over 35 years of dedicated
service and join MDHA and our many partners that support and provide services to
the homeless, as we salute Mike’s leadership as he retires.
DONE IN OPEN COURT THIS 11th day of November 2014.
