A former hospital was purchased by the City of Dallas early last year to be used for homeless services, but the project has stagnated with no end in sight.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the City purchased an abandoned Oak Cliff hospital for $6.5 million in January 2022, intending to convert the facility into a “homeless services” center.
However, many residents expressed concerns about a homeless services center being “directly across the street” from an elementary school, public library, and public park. City staff did not consult with residents before purchasing the former hospital at 2929 South Hampton Rd.
The City paused development on the project due to this backlash and recently told The Dallas Express it currently has no scheduled completion date.
Asked when the project would be finished and how much funding has been allocated toward its remaining costs, the City said that both answers are “pending.”
Thus far, aside from the $6.5 million spent to acquire the property after authorization from the City Council, no other costs are associated with the project.
As for the future of the initiative, the City said it is still being determined but that residents are being included in the process this time around.
“A work group dedicated to providing input on the future use of the property reconvened this summer,” the City said in a statement to The Dallas Express. “The group, comprised of neighborhood residents, Dallas I.S.D. representatives and subject matter experts, meet regularly and will provide recommendations to City staff upon completion of their work.”
What function the facility will serve when complete is currently under discussion by the workgroup.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, another building purchased by the City in 2020 for homeless services also remains vacant. The former Hotel Miramar was purchased for $3.5 million and is not yet in use three years later.
A total of $9.5 million has been directed toward the Hotel Miramar project, which is not scheduled to open until June 2024.
The City plans to use the facility for “permanent supportive housing” for the homeless, in line with “housing first” being the guiding philosophy of the Office of Homeless Solutions.
“Housing first” policies have been advocated by the federal government since the Obama administration. Such policies focus on providing housing for the homeless without requirements for sobriety or counseling and the like.
Proponents say these requirements are barriers to housing, but opponents say “housing first” policies trap the homeless in a cycle of dependence, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
An alternative approach has proven successful in San Antonio, where the nonprofit Haven for Hope has been credited with a 77% reduction in homelessness by providing housing in conjunction with supportive services, such as addiction rehabilitation, counseling, and job training.
This “one-stop-shop” approach has polled favorably among Dallas residents. Mayor Eric Johnson recently visited Haven for Hope, but it remains to be seen whether the City will adopt similar policies, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Meanwhile, 75% of Dallas residents say homelessness and vagrancy continue to be “major” problems throughout the city.
