Dallas, TX – September 30, 2024 – The All Neighbors Coalition, led by Housing Forward, announced today the successful completion of the first phase of the Street to Home initiative, which launched with an operation to rehouse over 100 individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in downtown Dallas in less than 100 days. This milestone represents a significant step toward achieving the Coalition’s goal to cut street homelessness in half by 2026 as compared to 2021 levels.
The Street to Home initiative, a collaboration among public and private partners, focuses on rehousing those experiencing homelessness in highly visible public spaces. The first phase targeted three downtown zones, and was led by Housing Forward, the City of Dallas, and Downtown Dallas, Inc. (DDI).
- Zone 1: The area surrounding the Central Library.
- Zone 2: The area from Young to Canton Streets, east of City Hall.
- Zone 3: The area from Canton to Griffin Streets, southeast of City Hall.
Beginning on July 1, teams engaged with people living in these zones, providing medical and behavioral health care access; assisting them with securing permanent housing; and identifying other barriers to rehousing such as helping them locate critical documents. Each zone had specific closure dates, and all targets were met, successfully housing 107 people.
“This new way of doing business demonstrates that we can both address community concerns about public spaces and compassionately end an individual’s homelessness.” said Sarah Kahn, President & CEO of Housing Forward. “This initiative is another milestone in our efforts to reduce street homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties by 50% by 2026.”
Transforming Lives and Public Spaces
The initiative builds upon the All Neighbors Coalition’s prior achievements, including a 24% reduction in unsheltered homelessness since 2021, and the housing of over 12,600 people in the past three years. The Street to Home initiative allows the Coalition to both continue connecting people to permanent housing at a historic pace and close encampments permanently by providing residents with permanent housing and essential support services.
Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, Interim City Manager for the City of Dallas, highlighted the progress: “Street to Home has changed lives and neighborhoods. It is not only a life-changing moment for the 107 people housed, but it also significantly improves the quality of life for everyone who lives and works downtown.”
Since the closure of the targeted zones, Dallas police have reported a marked reduction in calls for service in these areas.
Collaborative Effort for Sustainable Change
The initiative was made possible through the support of many dedicated partners, including: The City of Dallas Office of Homeless Solutions; Downtown Dallas Inc. and its homeless outreach team; Austin Street Center; Metro Relief; The Bridge; The Stewpot; Under1Roof; Metrocare; North Texas Behavioral Health Authority; Parkland HOMES; and Dallas Housing Authority.
“In homelessness, the solutions are as complex as the problem. What we celebrate today is a step towards the normalcy that has been lacking in the City’s core. I am grateful to interim City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert for listening to the City Council and delivering on a promise of tackling our most important issues with greater urgency. We also recognize that we have quality of life challenges throughout our city that will require continued collaboration between the public and private sectors. I will continue to advocate for innovative and creative solutions which solve the gaps in our response system,” said Jesse Moreno, Chair of the Dallas City Council Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee.
A Proven Model with Momentum
Street to Home’s enhanced encampment response model represents a coordinated effort across the City of Dallas to reduce chronic homelessness in public spaces and reclaim areas for public use. With the first phase’s success, the All Neighbors Coalition will strategically target public spaces across the City.
Jennifer Scripps, President & CEO of Downtown Dallas Inc., said, “Housing over 100 people in less than 100 days is no small feat. Our DDI Homeless Outreach team has played a pivotal role, and we are excited to continue this important work.”
The initiative is part of a $30 million public-private investment, with significant contributions from entities such as the Meadows Foundation, Communities Foundation of Texas, The Perot Foundation, The Eugene McDermott Foundation and others along with investment from the City of Dallas.
“Homelessness is a complex issue, but we have the tools and the solutions,” said Peter Brodsky, Board Chair of Housing Forward. “With the continued support of public and private funders, we are confident that we can build on this early success and ensure that all members of our community are housed and safe.”
About Housing Forward and the All Neighbors Coalition
Housing Forward, leading the All Neighbors Coalition, is a group of 150 organizations dedicated to ending homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties. The Coalition has made significant strides in transforming the homeless response system and is committed to making homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
