Introducing the Homeless Response System Online Learning Clinic 2018

The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) leads the development of an effective homeless response system that will make the experience of homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties rare, brief, and non-recurring. MDHA brings together more than 85 shelter, housing and supportive services programs in retooling homeless services into a crisis response system.

Over the course of 2015-2017, MDHA focused on building the necessary components of an effective unified homeless response system. Such a system helps those who can self-resolve do so, places those who cannot self-resolve into appropriate housing, is entirely oriented towards housing as the solution for homelessness, and practices full transparency, as a tool for learning and systems change.

In mid-2017, MDHA shifted its focus to utilizing the system to better house people quickly and permanently, while working with experts and innovators to continue to improve it. The system’s impact has been recognized by the local community, as well as lauded nationally.

This blog series, the Homeless Response System Online Learning Clinic 2018, is designed to walk the reader through our work, at MDHA, since 2015 to the present day, and as we move forward. It will follow this outline: 

Part I: From Managing to Ending Homelessness

Part II: The Need for a Homeless Response System
Part III: Building Dallas’ Homeless Response System – 2015-2017 – Diversion and Coordinated Access
Part IV: Building Dallas’ Homeless Response System – 2015-2017 – All Roads Lead to Housing
Part V: Building Dallas’ Homeless Response System – 2015-2017 – Data Transparency
Part VI: Dallas’ Homeless Response System in Action - 2017-2019