Dallas County, which has the highest number of people experiencing homelessness in Texas, is working with local governments and nonprofit organizations to combat the crisis through a real-time rehousing program.
The county has seen results with the program, which began in October 2021, with chronic homelessness decreasing by 32% and unsheltered homelessness decreasing by 14%.
The nonprofit Housing Forward leads and manages the Real-Time Rehousing strategy. So far, he has registered 3,264 people and 1,548 people have moved into housing. The $72 million effort administers $2,440,452 in flex funds and is primarily funded through the American Rescue Plan Act.
In addition to temporary and sometimes permanent housing subsidies, rapid rehousing programs recognize that housing itself may not be enough to prevent people from falling into homelessness, and provide mental health care. , provides support services such as meal assistance, job training and placement.
“We know that for us humans, our homes are just one component of having a roof over our heads,” said Joli Robinson, President and CEO of Housing Forward. “But they also need support and additional assistance, perhaps in terms of finding and using the library system, or connecting to health care, job training, and certifications. So for people to be successful, they need more than just housing. It’s not just about making sure they’re housed.’ How do we provide these comprehensive services and supports so they can stay housed?”
This funding allowed Housing Forward to invest in more case manager positions, giving enrollees immediate access to support services. The addition of encampment removal to involve people living in encampments and connect them to housing, and the creation of a landlord engagement team to find vacant units with landlords who accept housing vouchers to increase housing.
Each person enrolled in the program undergoes an evaluation to determine their individual needs and is assigned a case manager.
“Sometimes you need 12 months of case management, sometimes you need 24 months of case management, sometimes you only need six months, sometimes you need nine months, right? ” Robinson said. ” So it's not about routine work, it's about how you respond to and meet individual needs. ”
This program was developed in consultation with Housing Forward, the City of Dallas, the County of Dallas, and the Dallas Housing Authority.
“This model allows us to potentially leverage this one-time funding during a time of COVID-19 that we have never experienced before and may never experience again,” Robinson said. he said. “So instead of one person having one program and here we have another program, how can we leverage and maximize the funding and have a whole systems approach?” So, how do we secure a funded direct service provider so they can provide case management and build a landlord engagement team?”
“Because before this work, case managers had to work alone or in pairs to find willing landlords. “How do we build a system that works together effectively and efficiently to house people faster?” And to accommodate a large number of people? ” So even though we don't all work in our own silos, we work very well together. ”
Dallas County Commissioner Teresa Daniel is vice chair of the Dallas Regional Partnership to End and Prevent Homelessness, a local government corporation that brings together local governments, nonprofits, developers, and shelters. , established the Dallas County Housing Working Group, which determines how various groups secure housing. We can best work together to curb the county's housing crisis.
“If 60% of your income goes just to rent, it becomes very difficult to actually get by, and you end up leaving the house… moving somewhere else and getting a job in Dallas County. We're going to have to figure out how to get around,''' Daniel said. “…we have been doing PIT (point-in-time) counts for eight years, so we know where the needs are, but it wasn’t until 2020 when funding became available that we said, 'Oh, we should do this.' We can do this, we can do this when the bell rings.”
Approximately 60% of people experiencing homelessness in Dallas County are black, which is significantly higher than the county's black population (23.9%). About 70% of people enrolled in rapid rehousing programs are black, according to data from Housing Forward.
“Racial equity is kind of a central tenant of the work that we do in the homeless response system, even outside of this program,” Robinson said. “…we are looking at not just the number of people enrolled in the program, but even the length of time from when people are “identified” to when they are “housed,” do you see any discrepancies in that?
“…we’re also saying that once people access our system, there are probably already different systems that are failing people in very unfair ways. So our system When you access , we do our best to ensure equity on the front lines, combing through data in ways that help us understand “how do we make sure people are housed?” I'll look into it. In the same proportion? How do we identify and engage residents in an equitable way and ensure appropriate outreach?”
The program features 757 coupons specifically for domestic violence survivors, families, and individuals with chronic health issues.
Daniel pointed to other housing initiatives the county is working on that highlight the fact that homelessness is not a one-size-fits-all approach. This initiative was created specifically to target groups that have historically been more susceptible to homelessness, including veterans, seniors, and the LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s kind of funny, because sometimes when you take away all the major populations, I get a little rebel. [homelessness] This is an issue for all of us, so why aren't we addressing it that way?'' Daniel said. “However, we find that when some groups are lumped together with others, it becomes more difficult to have their needs met, and that doesn't seem fair or right. .Especially when there is an awareness of what is what's what we are doing and how we are doing it. ”
REAL TIME REHOUSING is just one way the county is trying to address homelessness. Other projects underway include Community First Recruitment for Travis County. village of small houses. Dallas County purchased 75 acres of land for a similar project, and Catholic Charities converted the county-purchased hotel into 180 units of supportive housing, according to Dallas County Health and Human Services Director and Health Authority Dr. Philip Huang. The unit is being renovated. service department.
“We've been talking to Housing Forward and all of our other partners and we've found that there are a lot of different needs,” Huang said. “It seems like our community is well-positioned for temporary housing, so right now the biggest need that we've seen through point-in-time surveys and other things is permanent supportive housing.”
Subsidies for real-time rehousing will continue until 2024. The program has built the infrastructure needed to address homelessness in the future, including a community dashboard that tracks project enrollment, housing placement and racial equity analysis, Robinson said.
“The long-term impact is that this shows that our system works very well,” Robinson said. “And most of all, it provided a very solid foundation for a modified system so that capital and opportunities could flow into our system at any time.”
