Schrödinger’s Homeless Cat*

The Thought Experiment

Perhaps the most famous quantum physics experiment is the thought experiment known as Schrödinger’s Cat. Erwin Schrödinger disagreed with a model of quantum mechanics. That model held that a particle exists in multiple states until observed. He used his thought experiment to disprove that model.

Imagine a sealed box containing a cat, a bottle of poison and a radioactive sample. The box is rigged, so once the sample has decayed, the bottle shatters, which kills the cat. Opening the box will allow us to detect if this has happened yet or not, but what about when the box is still sealed? According to the model Schrödinger was trying to disprove, the cat would be both alive and dead at the same time! Since that is obviously impossible, that model cannot be true. QED.

Now what remains true, and what undergirds the entire thought experiment, is that until we open the box, we don’t know if our furry feline friend is alive or dead. This is a perfect analogy for two different problems MDHA has been working on for the last two years.

(Courtesy of NobelPrize.org)

The Homeless Count

In early 2015, MDHA told the community, that regarding the number of unsheltered homeless persons counted in the annual homeless count, we had this type of Schrödinger’s Cat problem. We knew there were unsheltered homeless, and we were counting them every year, but we could not be confident we were finding everyone that could be found. We had what was, at least partially, a sealed box.

We needed to improve our count methodology, and we needed more volunteers. We explained that the experiences of other communities showed that you needed a ratio of 1:1, i.e. one volunteer per one unsheltered person, to find and count everyone.  We suggested that likely there were about 1,000 unsheltered persons in our jurisdiction, Dallas and Collin Counties.

Indeed, in 2016, in our first count conducted under our new counting regime, we had about 750 volunteers, and we found about 750 unsheltered homeless persons. (In 2015 we had found only about half as many.) We still were not able to cover all the routes we had carefully plotted in 2016, so we continued to suspect that we were not finding everyone who could be found.

In 2017, we set our target at 1,000 volunteers, and we ended up with about 1,375. We covered 99.5% of our routes, and we found 1,087 unsheltered persons. The box was unsealed, the cat was fully in view, and our two-year-old prediction had proven true. This is why in the 2017 State of Homeless Address we suggested that this number be the benchmark for our work moving forward.

 
The Homeless Management Information System

There was one more Schrödinger’s Cat problem we pointed out in early 2015. Communities in the United States are required under Federal Law to maintain Homeless Management Information Systems, commonly known as HMIS. Organizations like MDHA are tasked with operating these systems. Most organizations receiving Federal funding for housing programs for the homeless are required to report crucial data into these systems. This is not an issue of bureaucratic compliance. The only way we can and do help individual organizations and the community at large improve in our fight against homelessness is through collecting this data, analyzing it, and using it to drive improvement.

The problem was that in early 2015, only 3%(!) of the shelter beds available to Dallas’ homeless population were reported into the system. The data reported into the system from Federally funded housing programs is tremendously valuable, but it is data about the “back-end” of a person’s journey from homelessness to housing. The shelter environment is the “front-end” of homelessness, and we had very little data about it. It was more analogous to Schrödinger’s Cat, than the annual count ever was. In this regard, the cat was 97% sealed within the box.

 

 

During the last State of the Homeless Address, we had the audience go through our own thought experiment to drive this point home. We asked everyone to stand up to represent 100% of the homeless population. Then we gradually had sections of the audience sit down, leaving only a small section standing. We explained that we could not possibly, with a straight face, contend that the data we collect about the small section standing, was representative of the entire audience.

Already back in 2015, we stated that one of the most important things Dallas needed to do was move from 11(!) separate data systems to a single open state-of-the-art HMIS system, with at least 86% of shelter beds reported into it. The Federal Government does not really consider data from a system that does not have, at least 50%, to have any meaningful validity. Only at 86% does it consider the data to be comprehensive and reliable enough to award the community points on its collective grant application for homeless housing programs. The Federal Government cut the funding for homeless housing programs in Dallas twice over the last few years, because of this very problem. That cut did not affect the shelters; it affected the housing programs.    

 

We have been working on this problem for the last two years, early on partnering with PCCI and now Pieces Tech to develop that single open state-of-the-art HMIS for Dallas. In the meantime, we have increased the number of shelter beds reported into HMIS from 3% almost eleven-fold, but that is still just 32%. We are excited to be on the cusp of transitioning to the Pieces Tech HMIS, and even more excited that more service providers will be signing on to be a part of it. We are determined, this year, 2017, to break that 86% mark, and finally bid Schrödinger’s Cat adieu. We owe our homeless neighbors nothing less.   

* MDHA wishes to assure readers that no cats were harmed during the writing of this blog post, though one rabbit gave me a dirty look.

Becoming a Top Gun Homeless Response System

In the opening scene of Top Gun, we are introduced to the hero of the movie, known by the call sign Maverick, as he accomplishes an incredible feat, trolling an enemy pilot:

It is so quick, that it is difficult to see how Maverick did this. So, how did he?

“When two pilots faced off in a dogfight, the pilot who was able to observe the variables, orient his aircraft to the best possible position relative to his opponent, decide on the best course of action to engage his opponent, and act rapidly on that decision would win the fight.” (Mark Bonchek and Chris Fussell, Decision Making, Top Gun Style; Emphases mine – DSG.)

What the fictional Maverick uses is a conceptual decision making framework originated by the real larger than life character, U.S. Air Force Colonel John Boyd. This framework is known as the OODA Loop, because, as illustrated by Maverick, it involves four steps, Observe, Orient, Decide, Act. Boyd believed that this framework could be useful beyond the military, and it is seen as particularly helpful in competition in the business world. I believe, that it is applicable to our fight to end homelessness, too.

You can probably reflect on different situations, where you have engaged in decision making, and have used some or all the elements Maverick used. The extent to which you have been successful may have depended on your adherence to the OODA Loop framework.

You could, for instance, observe carefully, orient yourself to your situation very well, and even decide on the right course of action, but then due to various obstacles, not act. Conversely, my father’s admonition from when I was a child, still echoes in my head. To my pleading, “But I thought,” he would respond, “No, you didn’t think!” In those cases, I decided and then acted, without observing and orienting.

So, how does this apply to ending homelessness? If you think about our new MDHA Homeless Response System Community Dashboard, it gives us the perfect tool to make decisions in a way that would make Colonel Boyd proud. It allows us to observe all of the performance metrics or variables related to our number one job, as a homeless response system, housing the homeless. We can then orient ourselves into the best possible position, by drilling down into the data, and addressing three simple questions:

• How are we doing in housing the homeless?
• What is helping us house the homeless?
• What is impeding us from housing the homeless?

 

Once we have carefully observed and oriented ourselves, we can decide what corrective action we need to take to do a better job. Then, we follow through, and take that corrective action.

 

That the most important component in the real world is action, is a given. However, it is the Dashboard that allows our action to be much more well informed than ever before, and that is the true game-changer. The Dashboard allows our action to be guided by genuine data-driven evidence-informed decisions, born of careful observation and orientation.  With that, we can win this dogfight and defeat our foe, homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties.

Watch the State of the Homeless Address 2017!

On Thursday, March 9, 2017, about 350 people joined us at Goodwill Industries of Dallas, for the State of the Homeless Address.

We were honored to hear introductory words from MDHA board member, Dallas County Commissioner, Dr. Theresa Daniel, and Chair of the MDHA board, Executive Director of the Turtle Creek Recovery Center, John Castaneda.

Cindy J. Crain, MDHA President and CEO, shared the results of the 2017 Point-in-Time Homeless Count, and the progress of the Homeless Response System.

Click here to watch!

Click here to download Cindy's PowerPoint Presentation.

MDHA’s Homeless Response System - Helping Real People

We never forget that homelessness is about real people. Here are just a few glimpses of how we help real people whom we encounter through our work:

A photo of one of our homeless friends,

taken by award winning, Fort Worth based photographer, B.J. Lacasse,

shared with our friend’s permission

• Dallas Morning News - Robert Wilonsky: Once a year, Dallas' homeless count reminds us this is bigger than any of us can fathom - or bear - http://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas/2017/01/27/year-dallas-homeless-count-reminds-us-bigger-us-can-fathom-bear
• KERA – Stephanie Kuo: How Dallas' History Paved The Way For A Disproportionately Black Homeless Population - http://keranews.org/post/how-dallas-history-paved-way-disproportionately-black-homeless-population
• Dallas Morning News - Robert Wilonsky: One of Dallas' best homelessness solutions is staring the city in the face, begging for help - http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2017/01/12/one-dallas-best-homelessness-solutions-staring-city-face-begging-help
• Dallas Morning News – Cindy J. Crain: So much from 1843's 'A Christmas Carol' rings true about poverty and greed in Dallas today - http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2016/12/21/much-1843s-christmas-carol-rings-true-poverty-greed-2016-dallas
• MDHA Blog – David S. Gruber: The MDHA Flex Fund - A Powerful Tool for Unsung Heroes Ending Homelessness - http://endinghomelessnessmdha.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-mdha-flex-fund-powerful-tool-for.html
• KERA – Stephanie Kuo: Tent City Closes, But Homeless Outreach Workers Say Their Work Is Not Done - http://keranews.org/post/tent-city-closes-homeless-outreach-workers-say-their-work-not-done
• Dallas Morning News – Tasha Tsiaperas: Dallas' Tent City homeless camp finally folds - http://www.dallasnews.com/news/news/2016/05/03/final-eviction-day-arrives-for-handful-of-homeless-still-at-tent-city
• KERA – Courtney Collins: Losing An Apartment Because You Can’t Pay The $45 Application Fee - http://keranews.org/post/losing-apartment-because-you-cant-pay-45-application-fee 

Interested in helping us help real people? Go to: What Can You Do to Help? - http://www.mdhadallas.org/what-can-you-do-to-help-2/

My Father Was a Syrian Refugee - My Remarks at the East Plano Islamic Center’s - “Make America One Again” Event

Yesterday, Sunday, February 19, 2017, I was honored to share a few remarks at an event celebrating and honoring refugees, held by MDHA supporter, the East Plano Islamic Center. Here is what I said:

My father was a Syrian refugee. I am a refugee.

Now, since my name is David Gruber, this declaration might puzzle you. That does not sound like a typical Syrian name… Allow me to explain.

Ancient Israel, like most societies of its time, was an agrarian society, and so their festivals centered around agriculture. However, as they developed their founding myths, my ancestors incorporated themes from these myths into their already existing celebrations. Perhaps the most fundamental theme, that they incorporated into these traditions, was the idea that we are refugees.

Therefore, one festival morphed into a celebration marking the escape from tyranny and persecution in Egypt. Another festival came to commemorate wandering in the wilderness. A third festival became a time to recognize the divine grace inherent in refugees building a new life in a new land.

 

Family of Syrian refugees at East Plano Islamic Center (EPIC).

EPIC is a supporter of MDHA.

On that third festival, the Israelites were commanded to acknowledge this divine grace, bring an offering to the priest, and proclaim their thanks for their resettlement in a new land.

In giving thanks, they were commanded to retell their entire refugee story. However, they were not to begin the story from the Exodus from Egyptian tyranny. They were commanded to start the story, from the very beginning, far back in the mists of time, when they were but a family, not yet a people. This family, like the people that later descended from it, were refugees too.

Do you know where this family came from? The first words of the story tell us, “A wandering Aramean was my father…” Do you know how we would say, “A wandering Aramean was my father…” in today’s English? “My father was a Syrian refugee!” Yes, the founding myth of our ancient faith begins with acknowledging that our mythical patriarchs and matriarchs were Syrian refugees.

Our acknowledgement of refugee status goes one step further, though. The Ancient Rabbis tell us that it is not just our ancestors, who escaped tyranny by divine grace. We did too. For if they had not escaped persecution, we too would still be living under a tyrant. They command us thus, “In every generation a person must regard himself as though he personally had gone out of Egypt.” We are to see ourselves as refugees!

This is not a difficult task for Jews. We have fled persecution many times in our history. Most American Jews are descended of people who fled from European tyrants. In this blessed land they sought and found equality. However, they also witnessed the intolerance and bigotry, that caused the doors of this land to shut, as European Jewry was destroyed, and six million of our brothers and sisters were murdered.

When the magnitude of the Holocaust became evident, we, as Jews, coined a term worthy to be shared by Americans of all creeds: Never again! Never again will we stand idly by. Never again will we allow bigotry and intolerance to rule the day. Never again will we sentence innocents to death by omission. We will stay true to our founding myth.

My father was a Syrian refugee. I am a refugee.

My Invocation at the Dallas Furniture Bank’s 12th Annual CHAIRity FriendRaiser Luncheon - In the Image of God

Perhaps the busiest night of the year, for our homeless response system, is the night of the Homeless Count. And you can count on the staff and supporters of the Dallas Furniture Bank to step up to the plate that night, year in and year out.

This year, just three weeks ago, we had the largest and most comprehensive Count in Texas history. A few days later, Rev. Linda Roby of First United Methodist Church Dallas, which hosted about 775 of our 1,125 volunteers, asked me a fascinating question. Why, from a theological perspective is it important to engage in this activity, counting the homeless?
 

 

One could ask a similar question about the Dallas Furniture Bank. We are all here for a good cause, and last year I shared with you, from the point of view of academic research, why what the Dallas Furniture Bank does is so vitally important. However, from a theological perspective, why is it important to do what they do, namely, “provide furniture to families transitioning from homelessness.”

We need not look too far in the Abrahamic tradition to find an answer. In the very first chapter of the Bible we are presented with a core idea of this ancient tradition, that the original humans were created, bitzelem Elohim, in the Image of God.

The revolutionary power of this idea is limitless. If the original humans were created in the Image of God that means that each and every human today bears that Image. Consequently, each human, from the richest to the poorest, from the billionaire to the person experiencing homelessness, has inherent importance, inherent dignity, and inherent worth.
 

with Aliah Henry, CEO, Dallas Furniture Bank

And societies invest in what they think is worth the investment. Therefore, a society as rich as ours, a city as vibrant as ours, a community as blessed as ours, not only must, but can invest in ending homelessness. It can provide sufficient affordable housing to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring, housing that the Dallas Furniture Bank will furnish. It can fulfill the mission of the Dallas Furniture Bank and restore normalcy and independence to each one of our homeless friends.

That is the theological significance of the Homeless Count and the Dallas Furniture Bank. Through these seemingly quotidian acts of counting our homeless friends, of providing them with basic furniture to make their houses true homes, we acknowledge that our homeless friends bear the Image of God, and they are worth it.

And, through our presence here today, through our support for the sacred work of the Dallas Furniture Bank, we state, that we will not rest until each of our homeless friends is treated with the dignity that befits fellow human beings. For they too were created bitzelem Elohim, in the Image of God.

MDHA Homeless Response System Community Dashboard October-December 2016

As we announced earlier this month, yesterday we began publishing quarterly reports tracking our community's progress in making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in Dallas and Collin Counties.

This Homeless Response System Community Dashboard will provide a snapshot of the core system metrics that inform us on achievements in moving individuals to permanent housing.

This first report published yesterday, February 13, 2017, covers activity between October 1 and December 31, 2016. Click here to download this first dashboard, which establishes a baseline to which we can compare future performance: MDHA Homeless Response System Community Dashboard - October-December 2016.  

With this baseline now in place, each subsequent Homeless Response System Community Dashboard will include a brief executive review of what the data tells us, methods for systemic improvement, and other impacts to the system of care.