Dallas, Texas – The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) announced today, that it will hold a mayoral forum on homelessness, on Thursday, April 11, 2019, 10.00-11.30am, at Communities Foundation of Texas, 5500 Caruth Haven Lane, in Dallas.
Six candidates, Mike Ablon, Albert Black, Scott Griggs, Alyson Kennedy, Lynn McBee and Regina Montoya have confirmed their participation. Jason Villalba, personally, extended his regrets, due to a prior commitment. The Eric Johnson and Miguel Solis campaigns are still working through their schedules.
Picture Gallery courtesy of D Magazine and of the candidates
“Homelessness is one of the most important issues that will confront the next mayor of Dallas,” said MDHA President and CEO, Carl Falconer, “Therefore, we felt that it was our obligation, as the lead agency of Dallas’ homeless response system, to give candidates a chance to lay out their visions for ending homelessness in our city.”
The January 2019 annual homeless count showed a 9% increase in homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties, from 4,140 to 4,538. The number of homeless veterans increased by 100, from 331 to 431 (11.3% of all homeless individuals). Chronically homeless individuals (generally defined as homeless for a year, with a documented disability) increased by 11%, from 424 to 470.
Falconer, who shared these sobering numbers on March 14, 2019, at MDHA’s annual signature meeting, the State of the Homeless Address, will moderate the mayoral forum. He will ask a number of identical questions, giving each candidate the opportunity to give a timed response to each question.
Ideas for questions may be emailed to David.Gruber@mdhadallas.org, with the subject line: Question for Mayoral Forum. MDHA will not be able to reply to these messages, due to the anticipated volume of submissions.
This event is open to the public. Admission is free, though RSVP is required. Tickets will be available beginning March 25, 2019 and ending April 9, 2019. Go to: https://mayoralforumonhomelessness.eventbrite.com. Space is limited. MDHA, kindly, requests that members of the public only RSVP if they can commit to attending.
