Tuesday, November 27, 2007
“Housing First” solution for Dallas homeless can work
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Newsflash: homeless people are not criminals, nor are they deserving of the treatment they usually receive. What people who lack homes need is decent, permanent housing.
As I've related here before, lots of national research and numerous case studies document the fact that once given a place to call home, an overwhelming majority of formerly homeless persons manage their lives very well without much additional intervention (87%, to reference one major study).
Well, we now have our own experience to report in validation of the reports from other cities.
Thanks to a grant from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Central Dallas Ministries is placing homeless persons in permanent housing in two undisclosed Dallas locations.
We have funding for 50 apartments. We have secured these housing units through an agreement with one property owner. We control 25 one-bedroom apartment units in each of two different locations. In each location our living units are part of a much larger, multi-family development.
So far we have placed 18 homeless men in permanent housing. These guys now have a key to the place they call home. Thanks to a couple of area churches, they also have what they need to set up housekeeping.
We've been at this for several weeks now. Before too much longer we will have filled all 50 of our apartments.
Guess what?
No problems whatsoever from our tenants. They are so grateful for the housing and for the freedom, you should hear them talk. Without a doubt, these gentlemen will become some of these developments' best residents.
Their stories are all a bit different.
All are dealing with various disabilities.
All are capable of life on their own. They proved that surviving on our mean streets, some of them for several years.
What they share in common is an extremely positive, appreciative response to having a home of their own.
Here's the chief solution for our Downtown "problems with the homeless." Develop the housing. Provide the support to move folks from the street to a quality, decent home. The problem can be solved. We are kidding ourselves if we say otherwise.
If I was a Downtown, upscale developer, I'd call CDM and ask how to make an investment in our future development plans.*
I'm just wondering if we have the will, the smarts and the vision as a community to simply practice the Golden Rule? If we do, the outcome will be wonderful for everyone.
(*By the way, my phone number is 214.823.8710 ext 116!)
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Comments
foreverhonesty2000 Anonymous
great story it should be on the DMN front page
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Larry James-
Why are the two new housing locations 'undisclosed'? Where is the new Homeless-Center being constructed?
All very hush-hush I suppose.
Forgive me- as a tax-paying, Dallas business owner, I just felt a desire to know, as I'm sure others do as well.
Do I ask too much?
My email is rick@rickyost.com if you'd care to respond to me privately.
Or not.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
kirk Anonymous
Rick:
Maybe you would like to post your own home address here? What purpose would it serve to identify where this housing is located, other than to keep some people (like you) away from the area and to attract others (like dealers) to the area?
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
I thought it to be kinda shady, myself...depends on why it's undisclosed. You'd think that if they're trying to help homeless peeps, they'd want to spread the word on where these guys need to go in order to take advantage of the housing. If there's some kind of selection process, I'm more interested in that than the location of the housing...
If I was a Downtown, upscale developer, I'd call CDM and ask how to make an investment in our future development plans.
Ha, this came about from a gubment grant for a reason...not much investment opportunity in housing people who can't pay rent, and as far as downtown developers are concerned there are always going to be hobos.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Bill Holston Verified
http://www.centraldallascdc.org/ Has many of the details. Seems to me this is a non profit trying to be very creative in approaching this difficult issue. It seems like a really good idea to me.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Right Bill, and I have no issue with affordable housing (which is what the CDCDC site discusses/offers). If this push is simply to give people permanent housing with only the first few months of rent paid for, I'm all for it. I'm sure they're assigned a social worker, but is there any hard line on when the person needs to start paying their own rent? Giving someone a free place to stay with grant money doesn't solve anyone's real problems, it alleviates their housing need for a limited amount of time. If they have extenuating illnesses or disabilities (mental or physical), there needs to be a separate facility to accomodate. There's a big difference between helping someone get back on their feet and giving them no reason to earn their keep.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Bill Holston Verified
Those are good and legitimate questions. I don't know, maybe Larry James reads this and can comment. I hope he does. I would point out that Central Dallas Ministries is a separate organization, and they seem to offer the sorts of transitional services you describe. How that works in tandem with housing I'm not sure.
http://www.centraldallasministries.or...
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Kirk: I always seem to upset you.
I just wanted to know where to expect the new homeless gathering place to be. I wondered if the next address to look like Park St. would be any closer to my place of business. Yes, I'm concerned about my business- so shoot me! It's my family business.
Whether you understand or not- I do have a right to know.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Kirk: I always seem to upset you.
I just wanted to know where to expect the new homeless gathering place to be. I wondered if the next address to look like Park St. would be any closer to my place of business. So shoot me!
Bill Holston: Thanks for posting the info website.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
I guess I was upset as well. Sorry for the flub.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
gtobe Anonymous
Read the article again guys and also about Housing First. These are DISABLED homeless people who have no hope of finding affordable housing on the small income they have. They are no longer homeless because they now have housing! I know one of the individuals who was lucky enough to get an apartment arranged by CDM and he is a great guy. Unable to work due to his disability, there was no way he would have been able to get off the street without assistance.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
DC Anonymous
Put up some safe housing for the homeless, put some cops on the streets and build a decent school. aka: Recipe for downtown Dallas.
Does anyone want to hear this?? No. Hell, it's Dallas. Better to build toll roads, drop tax benefits for the W and for people to fry to death on the streets than anything else, right?
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
kirk Anonymous
Rick, you don't upset me.
Your positions seem informed mostly by: 1.) your desire to build an urban business and 2.) an ultra-libertarian (but, curiously, anti-religion) point of view. I think you have an inalienable right to both of those pursuits, but it doesn't mean I agree with them.
If I have disagreed with you too vehemently, or if I came across as mad at you, I am sorry.
7 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
golferjill Anonymous
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
3 months, 3 weeks ago
Pavel Lishin Verified
I'm betting this isn't the right place to ask for help, and publishing your granddaughter's name, phone number, and medical details on a public website probably isn't the greatest idea either.
3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
I concur. Hopefully the nice PegNews folks will forward the message in an email to Larry James and delete the comment...
3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Mike Orren Staff
Done. Parts of the post that have no identifying info are below. Anyone who wants to contact golferjill can do so here:
http://www.pegasusnews.com/users/golf...
My granddaughter is 30 years and has 3 children and has had the HIV virus for 10+ years. She has reached the point where she cannot hold down a job and has no insurance. She works a few weeks and has to go to the hospital. She and I have been on the phone for 2+ days trying to get her some help. She is being evicted from her apartment either tomorrow or on the first. Is there any help I can get for her? Any thing you could suggest would be appreciated.
3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Jeremy Gregg Verified
She should call Patti Cryer at Central Dallas Ministries at 214-823-8710, or ask to speak to one of our social workers. She might also consider contacting someone like the Resource Center of Dallas (http://www.resourcecenterdallas.org/). They operate an AIDS resource center that I've heard is high quality.
I am not sure how helpful it is, but there is always dialing 2-1-1 for the city's social services line. See http://www.ccgd.org/2-1-1/2-1-1.html for more.
Jeremy Gregg, Director of Development Central Dallas Ministries
3 months, 3 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
blazintommyd Anonymous
If people are homeless and this poses a problem for society then "earning your keep" is just adding a condition perpetuating the problem. The US of A can afford to provide basic subsistence to every man, woman and child in America and that's what the government ought to do instead of attempting to make some hair brained private sector MIC delusion take care of everything. Lots of people won't need basic subsistence, if lots of people do or would then the US of A in it's present mode has problems. Providing basic subsistence and THEN saying I am holier than thou go collect greenbacks if you want anything beyond has more integrity than just sending them down to "The Dirty Boulevard" to work as street whores, crack dealers, porn stars, whatever. Providing basic subsistence solves a whole host of problems. WASPs ought to show everyone how highly evolved they are and get over their Calvinist delusions already. We have one life to live and there is no pie in the sky when you die. This is it. So get real and have some compassion. Plus it's a way for you to have a scapegoat to say see I'm better than him. If you can't do that then you are not free from want, you are in actuality the depraved person for you are or would be jealous of people on welfare and that is one of the truly twisted truths of Conservative America.
3 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
blazintommyd Anonymous
Incidentally, Mike Orren? If you find anything let me know as well, my gf is going to be homeless by April 1st. Has no money and no assets and can't get the State of Texas to cover her rent. I admit I am ignorant of this whole thing but once in 1979 I was about to fail so I went to Social Services up here in the north and they gave me an emergency check, food stamps heating assistance &c. But from what I've been reading between George Bush and Bill Clinton those days are gone forever? I don't know. You tell me.
3 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Pavel Lishin Verified
Maybe you should let your girlfriend move in with you, instead of letting her starve out on the streets.
3 months, 2 weeks ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Scott Doyle Verified
Sounds like tommyd needs to stop blazin' for awhile.
3 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Kirk- Sorry, I haven't been back to this thread for over three months- didn't see your reply to me.
First off, the short list of attributes you use to describe the way I operate is backwards.
Anti-religious is right up front. Always has been. Every believer who buys into the myths, legends, fairy-tales, and control propaganda is fearfully, and selfishly, impeding the progress of the human race.
Libertarian: (According to the dictionary) a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action...yep, that's me!
Yes, I am actively working hard to make a living operating an urban business.
I do respect your opinion sir, (until you give me reason to not) but I'm sure you'll agree, you don't need everyone else to agree with you to live your life. Or is that just me?
3 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
kirk Anonymous
Do you see why I might see your positions as curiously contradictory, Rick?
Libertarian = "a person who upholds the principles of individual liberty especially of thought and action."
But
"Every believer who buys into the myths, legends, fairy-tales, and control propaganda is fearfully, and selfishly, impeding the progress of the human race."
But, as I said (three-plus months ago), I respect your right to believe anything you want to.
I hope your urban business does well.
3 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
Kirk- It is good that we can respect each other's view. More folks should try to do this.
So what do any of the Churches/Religious cults, organizations, or corporations, have to do with individual liberty?
I'm not curiously contradictory, I'm speaking quite plainly. Unfortunately, the points I sometimes make, cause folks to take close looks at their own lives. Hence, people don't always care for what I say.
3 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
kirk Anonymous
In my view, a "believer" has a right to buy into anything he or she wishes to buy into (provided it doesn't violate others' rights to their beliefs).
I don't see how an individual's faith in anything impedes human progress. I do see that an individual, an institution or a government that tries to impose or impede beliefs can do irreparable harm.
3 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
Rick Yost Verified
I agree with your...'believer-view'.
And it's not the individual's faith- it's the power-hungry, politically-influential groups these individuals join. If they stayed individuals, that'd be one thing, but they're inevitably recruited by these mind/vote controlling groups.
Like the ones that want to exclude evolution from Texas public school textbooks. These folks are definitely bent on impeding human progress- or at best to dumb-down the flock. Amen.
All religious doctrines impede the progress of humanity because they're threatened by any original thought that contradicts said doctrine.
Peace.
3 months, 1 week ago ( Link to this comment | Suggest removal )
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