The City of Dallas cannot seem to manage its homeless services very well, with a simple water leak leading to mold at one of the City-owned shelters.
The issue was brought to light during a recent meeting of the Government Performance and Financial Management Committee.
Polling conducted by The Dallas Express indicates that roughly 75% of Dallas voters think homelessness, vagrancy, and aggressive panhandling are “major” problems in the city.
Residents have also registered their support for the “one-stop-shop” homeless services model used by Haven for Hope in San Antonio. The model has been credited with a 77% reduction in unsheltered homelessness in the city’s downtown area.
Some local stakeholders want to bring the model to Dallas. However, it is unclear whether the Dallas City Council will support such an approach to reducing homelessness.
Regardless, the City has been taking a scatter-shot “housing first” approach to the problem.
Here’s some of what KERA News reported on the latest City debacle:
Some Dallas officials say delays in repairing a roof leak and water damage at a Dallas-owned homeless shelter have led to mold problems and the closure of its child care area.
The group operating the facility reported both incidents to the city, but it took officials weeks to respond, according to a memo sent by city staff to the council.
Elected city officials voiced outrage over the handling of the shelter repairs during Monday’s Government Performance and Financial Management Committee meeting. Some said it put people’s lives at risk — and will cost taxpayers more to remedy.
“There were really [were] red flags,” District 9 Council Member Paula Blackmon said during the meeting. “What can we do to make sure it doesn’t get to red alert?”
Family Gateway, the nonprofit operating the shelter, reported the roof leak to the city June 3, 2023, according to a memo by city staff. Later that month, the group also reported water damage to the city’s office of homeless solutions. The city approved a vendor to assess and repair the roof on June 28, according to the memo included in Monday’s briefing.