What is it that you do, again?

It’s National Hunger and Homelessness Week, which is the perfect time to revisit a question we get every now and then, “What is it that you do, again?” So, here goes:
        

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.

That language is very precise. It is based on Opening Doors, the national strategic plan to end homelessness, commissioned by Congress and the President under the 2009 Homeless Emergency Assistance and Rapid Transition to Housing (HEARTH) Act. MDHA’s statutory authority and five main statutory roles are derived from the Act.

 

Opening Doors

the national strategic plan to end homelessness

We are often asked different variants of the question with which we began, the most common being:
 

• Do you do ______________ (fill in the blank)?
• Why don’t you ______________ (fill in the blank)?

We always answer the question with a question: Will ______________ (fill in the blank) enhance 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? If so, count us in. If not, we will have to pass. Now, that doesn’t mean ______________ (fill in the blank) is not important or worthy or vital; often it is. It just means that it is not our role to do it.

Now, that does not mean we won’t discuss those issues. We don’t care how hard or controversial they are, either. We don’t call our ongoing popular learning series Hard Conversations for nothing. However, our angle, every time we pick up a pen or a microphone, always goes back to a variant of that original question: How does discussing and understanding ______________ (fill in the blank) enhance our ability to develop an effective homeless response system that will make the experience of homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties rare, brief, and non-recurring?

 

Sometimes the answer may be self-evident; that many of us have misconceptions about those experiencing homelessness being a prime example. Other times, we might think it is self-evident, and discover through discussion, that we need to look at the issue in an entirely different light; what really causes homelessness, being a prime example. And other times still, we might not even see the direct connection at first, but the discussion will reveal an important and vital connection; racism and homelessness being a prime example.

This is precisely why we continue to engage in ongoing study. As a learning organization, we are constantly looking at best practices, up to date research, and evidence based solutions. We view everything we come across with a critical eye, as we constantly ask ourselves:

 

• Should we do ______________ (fill in the blank)?
• Shouldn’t we do ______________ (fill in the blank)?

 



It would be easy to say yes every time we ask these questions. If we are to fulfill our mission, however, we must answer these questions with this question: If we take ______________ (fill in the blank) on, will that action enhance our ability to develop an effective homeless response system that will make the experience of homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties rare, brief, and non-recurring? We must be consistently and ruthlessly honest in our answer, and always act accordingly.

A Hard, Ongoing and Critical Conversation

On June 28, 2017 for the latest installment of our Hard Conversations series, MDHA, CitySquare, and the Dallas Public Library presented a book synopsis of Toxic Inequality: How America's Wealth Gap Destroys Mobility, Deepens the Racial Divide, and Threatens Our Future. 

The book synopsis was led by Randy Mayeux, renowned scholar and longtime book reviewer at CitySquare's Urban Engagement Book Club. Our good friends, Larry James and Rev. Dr. Michael Waters, joined Randy for the Q&A part of this exciting event, and expounded on how the lessons of Toxic Inequality can be applied to race, poverty and homelessness in Dallas.

This Hard Conversation was part of our ongoing effort to address Racism and Homelessness in Dallas, as part of our SPARC Dallas program, in partnership with the Center for Social Innovation, and with the support of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Unite Dallas Relief Fund.

The importance of this effort was underlined by the National Alliance to End Homelessness’ invitation to Jeff Olivet and Marc Dones, of the Center for Social Innovation, to speak about this program, at the plenary on the second day of its recent annual conference, following an address by the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, Dr. Ben Carson.

Jeff and Marc also led a standing room only session at the conference, where they delved into the program in depth, and held a meeting, where we got to meet with those running the program in other cities. We have been meeting, in an online virtual learning community for a few months now, but this was the first chance we had to meet in person.

Out of recognition of the importance of combating Racism and Homelessness, the seventh goal of our CoC Strategic Work Plan is devoted to this. We look forward to continuing to make progress on this front. 

SPARC Dallas - Racism and Homelessness - Addressing Inequity in 10 American Cities

African Americans make up 13% of the population, both in the U.S. and in Dallas. Across the country, on average, African Americans make up 40% of the homeless population, and 28% of the unsheltered homeless population, which is troubling, in and of itself. However, in Dallas, African Americans make up 67% of the homeless population, and 70% of the unsheltered homeless population! This cannot stand. This cannot continue.

We must and we will tackle this overrepresentation of African Americans in the homeless population. With the help of a generous grant from United Way of Metropolitan Dallas’ Unite Dallas Relief Fund, we will do so through a new research and action program from the Center for Social Innovation (C4) titled “Racism and Homelessness - Addressing Inequity in 10 American Cities”. In the words of C4, “While no single initiative can end structural racism across all systems, we believe,” that through this initiative we can, “create positive change in attitudes and behaviors that will begin to close the racial gap that has led to the disproportionate prevalence… of homelessness among African Americans.”

The local iteration in each of the 10 cities will be referred to as SPARC (Supporting Partnerships for Anti-Racist Communities) followed by the city name. Hence, heretofore we will refer to our research and action program here in Dallas, as SPARC Dallas. C4 staff will spend the week of January 30-February 4, 2017, here in Dallas, to launch the yearlong SPARC Dallas program.

Jeff Olivet, CEO of C4

This Friday, November 18, 2016, 12.30-2.00pm, Jeff Olivet and Marc Dones, of C4, will lead another installment in our Hard Conversations series, this time on Racism and Homelessness, at the J. Erik Johnson Central Public Library. During the last 20 minutes of the session, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas representatives will briefly talk about the Unite Dallas Relief Fund and why the fund Task Force decided to fund “Racism and Homelessness - Addressing Inequity in 10 American Cities”, Jeff and Marc will give an overview of the general plan for SPARC Dallas, and we will introduce the members of a small local planning body of local leaders, who will help C4 and the staff of the local partner agency (in Dallas, MDHA) plan the program launch week, and shepherd the yearlong program.

We look forward to continuing to update you on this important initiative, as it progresses. Please follow our social media on Facebook and Twitter, and if you are not already receiving our e-newsletter, text keyword MDHA to 22828. 

We Need to Talk…

Research has shown that the best way to end someone's homelessness is to house them. Now, if you were unfamiliar with the arena of homelessness, you could be forgiven for wondering why the last sentence even needs to even be written, or why this even needed to be researched. Isn't this self-evident? You certainly could be forgiven for not realizing that within the homelessness arena, throughout the 80s and 90s, and in some quarters still today, such a statement would be seen as ill-informed, wrong, and irresponsible!

Thankfully, as we have pointed out on this blog before, the jury is in, and so this idea that the homeless, just like you and me, fare best when they are housed (with adequate supports in place, where needed), is now the consensus of researchers in the field, the federal government, and most practitioners. The story of how this transformation came about, beginning with one small group of practitioners in New York City, to sweeping the nation and the globe, is vividly told by those very practitioners, in a book that is both extremely readable and full of all of the relevant research, Housing First: Ending Homelessness, Transforming Systems, and Changing Lives.

We are, therefore excited to announce the return of our series of Hard Conversations, with a book synopsis of this work, presented by Randy Mayeux, renowned scholar and longtime book reviewer at CitySquare's Urban Engagement Book Club.

This event, co-sponsored by MDHA, CitySquare, and the Dallas Public Library, will be held on September 19, 2016, 12-1.30pm, in the Auditorium (1st Floor) of the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library, 1515 Young St., Dallas, Texas 75201. (Follow signs to underground parking on Wood St.) Coffee and water will be provided. Attendees may bring a brown-bag lunch.

RSVP to: David Gruber, MDHA, at 469-222-0047 or david.gruber@mdhadallas.org
and share this ad: Hard Conversations - Housing First - September 19, 2016 - Ad