A Lake Highlands hotel could be converted into homeless housing if an upcoming rezoning resolution passes.
The Extended Stay America at 9019 Vantage Point Drive was designated by the Dallas Police Department as a “habitual criminal property” — a location where at least five documented crimes have occurred over a period of 12 months — in April last year, according to Community Impact.
The hotel is currently owned by Three Wall Capital, but the City has plans to convert it into permanent supportive housing for the homeless. The location would be equipped with case management and handed off to a nonprofit.
“Housing-first” solutions, which often include long-term or even permanent support, have been criticized for fostering dependency and failing to address the root causes of homelessness.
Ariya Villegas, a senior assistant city attorney, said at a community meeting on February 7 that no crime has occurred there over the past six months after most of the property’s occupants were evicted, per Community Impact.
At the same meeting, District 10 Councilmember Adam McGough said the current plan would convert the 136 hotel units into about 100 apartment units. Amenities such as playgrounds would also be added.
The reconfiguration is expected to cost more than $3 million, according to McGough, as reported by Community Impact. How much, if any, of that burden would fall to Dallas taxpayers was not immediately clear.
McGough referred to a message from Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center Chairman Mark Melton, who said he expects a letter of intent for the change of ownership to be signed within the next week, according to Community Impact.
Melton said it is likely that the new owner would be Volunteers of America, a nonprofit that focuses its efforts on the homeless, families with children, veterans, and the elderly. He added that the local homeless organization Housing Forward would most likely provide care management.
The City Council will consider the rezoning issue on February 22. If approved, it would allow for the property to be used for multifamily housing. The item has been delayed multiple times, but McGough said it is unlikely to be delayed further.
“We know if we don’t do anything or if we deny this, it’s going to stay with the current zoning and it’s going to be … operated again as a hotel,” McGough said, per Community Impact. “Status quo to me is not really an option.”
However, at the community meeting on February 7, locals expressed mixed feelings about the rezoning and said they wanted additional time to learn about the issue before the vote takes place.
Homelessness and vagrancy continue to be pressing issues in Dallas. Despite City initiatives that cost taxpayers millions of dollars every year, many vagrants continue to willingly live on the street rather than take advantage of the services offered by the City and local non-profit organizations.
Many Dallas residents favor an alternative approach such as that taken by San Antonio’s successful Haven for Hope — a one-stop shop for homelessness that provides services in a contained geographic area — as polling data previously reported by The Dallas Express indicate.
