In our last Homeless Rehousing System Newsletter we shared some news that we just had to share here too: The City of Dallas Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) is pleased to report that it has exceeded its goal of housing 300 Dallas residents through its Rapid Rehousing Program, with a total of 301 households, or 473 (!) people housed. This new program specifically targeted Dallas residents who were experiencing homelessness and who had also been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of them stayed at the temporary shelter at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center after being displaced due to social distancing, while others were referred from established shelters.
The picture of the residents housed through this program looks very much like the make-up of the population currently experiencing homelessness in Dallas. 74% of the households served were individuals, 77% were male heads of household, and 68% were African American. In order to provide the program participants with a wider range of housing options, OHS allowed them to select housing anywhere in Dallas or Collin Counties. Still, the vast majority chose to live in Dallas, with only 25 households, or just over 8% of program participants, choosing housing outside the city.
