Ending Homelessness: Tent City

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.

Tuesday, October 25, 2016

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.

Wednesday, September 7, 2016

Supportive Services and Assessments Increased at Haskell Homeless Encampment – Racial Inequities Must be Addressed

On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, beginning at 9:30 am, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance and representatives from several homeless service providers will increase supportive services and client needs assessments for residents of the homeless encampment located at I-30 and Haskell in Dallas, Texas.

Street outreach workers primarily from City Square, Austin Street Center, The Stewpot and Turtle Creek Recovery Center will embark on a “blitz” to methodically assess each person, and document their homelessness, in preparation for moving them into housing, as soon as feasible.

Effective evidence-based street outreach assumes that all persons have strengths and assets, enters into dialogue, figuratively and literally where clients are, and starts the conversation immediately, with a specific question, “What is your housing plan?” Persons are assessed using evidence-based tools, with an eye to facing the practical housing barriers the person faces. The attitude brought to such outreach is key: We are aware, that nearly all persons living unsheltered come from a position of trauma, and are coping with antisocial, destructive and avoidant behaviors. Therefore, we do not judge.

It is important to identify each person’s collateral and most immediate and achievable need, in order to build trust. Case workers must be mindful of the fact that change comes in stages: Some people can move quickly, while others require thoughtful motivational interviews and conversations. Persistence and consistency are key: Follow up, follow up, follow up, with that same question, “What is your housing plan?” Deadlines can be helpful, serving as antagonists to create bias for action, however, the best results depend on the resources available, including time.

To be effective, a ratio of one case manager to ten households is a must, since there is much to do for each person. Case managers must initiate contact, assess and prioritize for service, connect persons with services, staff each case with other relevant agencies, facilitate the development of a housing plan, follow up on said plan, directly assist with barriers to the plan, advocate for the person with other agencies, and document all of this in the Homeless Management Information System.

It is this type of methodical work that was able to lower the estimated number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the largest encampments in Dallas’ urban core from about 300 to 200 individuals, since the May 2016 closure of the Tent City under the I-45 Bridge. Specifically, 57 persons were housed by CitySquare, 4 moved out of Dallas, 4 others were housed by other entities, 13 entered emergency shelter, and 18 have been fully assessed and prioritized, and are ready to be housed immediately, once housing units open.

Doing this work, Dallas must come to terms with one more important fact: The persistence of racial inequality stands out in the area of homelessness. African Americans make up 13% of the population, both in the US and 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! And, unfortunately, true to Chief David Brown’s words on July 8, 2016, this too is one more “societal failure we put… off on the cops to solve.”

As we continue the ongoing work with the unsheltered homeless population, MDHA and its partners will seek to tackle this overrepresentation of African Americans in the homeless population. While no single initiative can end structural racism across all systems, we believe that it is possible to 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. We will work to make that happen.

History of Encampment Tent Population Estimates in 2016:

2016	Jan (PIT)	Feb	March	Apr	May	June	July	Aug	Sept
I45	181	237	221	204	77	0	0	0	0
Haskell	21	22	34	56	62	73	86	92	82
Coombs	24	28	26	41	84	82	73	14	14
Total Tents	226	287	281	301	223	155	159	106	96

Monday, September 5, 2016

Why Do I Give to United Way?

As Development and Communications Director of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA), you might wonder why I would take the time to ask you to give to another organization. Well, allow me to explain.

United Way of Metropolitan Dallas (UWMD) invests in Income, Education and Health, and is making measurable progress in these three areas. My organization, MDHA, leads the development of the homeless response system that will make homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties, rare, brief and non-recurring. How does that connect to what UWMD is doing?

Research shows that the only way to make real social progress is through collective impact – many organizations working together to achieve common goals. Research further shows that you need a strong backbone organization to lead the collective impact, in order for it to work.

Both of our organizations are backbone organizations. UWMD partners with many organizations to work on a number of really big overarching community goals: improving the Income, Education and Health of those in need. We, at MDHA, partner with many organizations to work on a specific narrower goal: making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring. That means that both of our organizations never ask, "What's another cool program we can fund?" We always ask, "What proven solutions will help us achieve our goals?"

Picture this: It is August 2015. There are tents and other temporary structures that have formed a Tent City under I-45. MDHA and its partners have been working with the folks living there for two or three months, getting to know them, building rapport, and connecting them to housing solutions. They know they are making progress, but it is a process.

Then, our VP, Rebecca, sees something she has never seen in any of her previous visits – a one year old baby. She immediately calls our CEO, Cindy, and they, being moms themselves, decide then and there, that this baby is not sleeping outside of a home that night. Rebecca asks the mom a few simple questions, and discovers that the baby's mom has a housing voucher and an apartment waiting for her. So, why on earth is she in a tent? Well, she can't afford the $45 application fee for the apartment. And the program that got her the voucher is funded by a grant that does not fund application fees. So, she is stuck!

Fortunately, MDHA, with the help of UWMD, had just created the MDHA Flex Fund. This fund is designed to pay for minor, but impactful expenses that can and do make a huge difference, in helping folks resolve their homelessness. So, Cindy had a $45 check immediately cut for the application fee. Rebecca ran back to the office to pick up the check and deliver it. The problem was solved. Mom and baby were housed. Since that day, with the help of the MDHA Flex Fund, we have helped more than 250 individuals and families, just like that mom and her baby.

Now, think about the ripple effects of just those original $45. In the business world we would call it the ROI, the return on investment. Better still, think about what happens without those $45. Without those $45, that baby does not have a home. Without a home, how do you escape poverty? Without a home, how do you raise a healthy child? Without a home, how can you and your child concentrate on a kid's number one job, learning? Those $45 get you the package deal. They not only end that family's homelessness; they also give them a solid foundation for improving their Income, Education and Health.

That is why I run a United Way campaign at our office. That is why I give to UWMD. That is why I call on you to give to UWMD. So, do what I do. Figure out how much you can give, and then give that much, plus 10%. On behalf of UWMD, on behalf of MDHA and on behalf of that baby and her mom, thank you for giving.

Thursday, June 23, 2016

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.

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Ending Homelessness, Homeless Response Systems and MDHA – a Link “Primer”

Would you like to learn more about ending homelessness, homeless response systems and MDHA? We recently compiled this handy link “primer” to help you out with just that. Happy learning!

Opening Doors – the National Strategic Plan to End Homelessness:

http://usich.gov/resources/uploads/asset_library/USICH_OpeningDoors_Amendment2015_FINAL.pdf

About MDHA:

http://www.mdhadallas.org/what-is-mdha/

MDHA in Depth:

http://www.mdhadallas.org/mdha-in-depth-2/

Homelessness in Dallas:

http://www.mdhadallas.org/state-of-the-homeless-address-2016/

http://www.mdhadallas.org/2016-homeless-count/

http://www.mdhadallas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/HDX-PIT-All-Summary-2016.pdf

2015-2016 Continuum of Care Strategic Work Plan – Building an Effective Homeless Response System:

http://www.mdhadallas.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/CoCSWP-2015-2016-FINAL1.pdf