Ending Unsheltered Homelessness in Dallas

Homelessness is a failure of our society, and nothing highlights this failure more than unsheltered homelessness. This is why (and if you are a regular reader of our e-newsletter and of our blog you know this already) under the leadership of Cindy J. Crain, our President and CEO, we have paid particular attention to this issue. We and our partners have devoted many resources to helping the unsheltered homeless move into sheltered settings, and more importantly, into housing, as soon as possible.

Beyond the personal challenges faced by the unsheltered homeless, large encampments present acute health, safety and legal concerns to those residing there. This is why MDHA developed formal evidence-based guidelines for encampment clearings, in consultation with the City of Dallas, following the clearing of Tent City in April-May of this year. The most important guideline is that a clearing not be initiated, without identifying appropriate placements for at least half of the residents.

Street Outreach Initiative mobile office at the Haskell Encampment

In October, the encampment area located between S. Hill and Haskell Avenues under I-30 was formally closed. MDHA and collaborative partners agreed at the end of September, that the Street Outreach Initiative could reasonably house half of the then population of eighty-two encampment residents, once again, a requirement under the above guidelines. In fact, we and our partners managed to successfully place 45 persons, just above the goal of 41. We continue to engage and work with those who could not be placed.

We encourage you to read more about this specific clearing here on this blog: Housing and Shelter Targets Exceeded as Haskell Encampment Closes; Street Outreach and Case Management Continues. You can read more about this general effort in Cindy's recent piece in the Dallas Morning News: How Dallas is starting to solve its homeless problem, as well as here on this blog: Supportive Services and Assessments Increased at Haskell Homeless Encampment - Racial Inequities Must be Addressed.

Housing and Shelter Targets Exceeded as Haskell Encampment Closes; Street Outreach and Case Management Continues

Haskell Encampment, Dallas, Texas – Yesterday, October 24, 2016, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) and the Street Outreach Initiative, closed out an intensive week of case management and engagement, reviewing options with the remaining thirty-seven individuals, living at the Haskell Encampment, who had not moved yet. The encampment area located between S. Hill and Haskell Avenues under I-30 is in the process of being formally closed today, October 25, 2016.                                          


Street Outreach Initiative

Team Mobile Office

The site was slated for closure after a joint meeting with City Officials on September 29, 2016, when MDHA and collaborative partners agreed that the Street Outreach Initiative could reasonably house half of the then population of eighty-two encampment residents. The closure guidelines were developed by MDHA in consultation with the City of Dallas, following the clearing of Tent City in April-May of this year. As of yesterday, 45 persons have been placed, just above the goal of 41. 


Over the course of the last few weeks, in fact, MDHA and its partners from the City of Dallas, CitySquare, Nexus Recovery Center, Turtle Creek Recovery Center, The Bridge, Austin Street Center, the Salvation Army and Metrocare Services, were able to find and place forty-five residents into shelter, treatment, rapid rehousing, permanent private housing, and group homes or help them reunite with their families.



“Consistent and persistent case management, patiently undertaken by seasoned professionals, trained in trauma-informed care,  and armed with a toolbox of evidence-based solutions, is the only way we can end unsheltered homelessness in Dallas,” said Cindy Crain, President and CEO of MDHA. “The success of this effort could not be accomplished without strategic interagency collaboration, which has been developing over the course of 2016 into a true crisis response system, where we all work together, breaking down silos, and securing the best possible outcome for every individual,” she added.   

Yesterday, as case managers and volunteers helped the remaining residents pack up, they were joined by five formerly unsheltered homeless from prior tent encampment closures who are now permanently housed.

Crain reflected, “Their presence gave residents a glimpse of hope and possibility of the results of accepting shelter, housing, treatment and services. Seeing is believing, and is critical to motivating and working through the ever present trauma enforced fear and uncertainty of accepting assistance. The Street Outreach team gets better every day at the hard work that they do.”

MDHA and its partners will continue to work with these and other unsheltered individuals to get as many of them as possible off the streets and into shelter and housing. The overall impact of the successful, peaceful and housing-oriented closing of three encampments since the beginning of May 2016, will not be fully known before the annual Point-in-Time Homeless Count, which will be led by MDHA on the night of Thursday, January 26, 2017.

In the last Count, conducted on the night of Thursday, January 21, 2016, MDHA counted 539 unsheltered homeless individuals in Dallas. In order to conduct a full and accurate count of the unsheltered homeless, this coming January, MDHA will need 1,000 volunteers, registered as teams of 3-5 persons. Registration will open mid-November. Those wishing to receive notification of such, should text keyword MDHA to 22828 to join MDHA’s mailing list.