The former Hotel Miramar, purchased in 2020 by the City of Dallas to be used as housing for the homeless, remains vacant nearly three years later.
The Dallas Express reported in April that three separate facilities purchased by the City for homeless services were not in use. The first phase of one facility opened in June, but the other two are still vacant.
In a statement to The Dallas Express, the City said the former Hotel Miramar project at 1950 Fort Worth Ave. is “still in development” and is not scheduled to open until June 2024. The City has directed roughly $9.5 million toward the project.
The City purchased the property in December 2020 for $3.5 million to provide “emergency housing for homeless residents in the form of permanent supportive housing.” An additional $5.9 million of taxpayer funding was allocated toward renovating the facility.
The nonprofit CitySquare was originally contracted to operate the facility when completed but “opted to cease their partnership with the City due to the internal changes in their scope of business,” according to the City. The Dallas Express reached out to CitySquare for comment but received no response by press time.
The City then selected UCR Development to redevelop the property and “make it operational as a housing facility.”
“On April 26, 2023, City Council authorized a development agreement with UCR Development for the design and redevelopment of the Miramar Hotel in an amount not to exceed $5,957,631,” the City told The Dallas Express.
The City also purchased a former hospital on Hampton Road in Oak Cliff for $6.5 million in January 2022 to be converted into a “homeless services” center. The City told The Dallas Express this project is “currently in discussion” with a workgroup and has no scheduled completion date.
Meanwhile, 75% of Dallas residents say homelessness and vagrancy continue to be “major” problems throughout the City.
The former Hotel Miramar was purchased by the City to be used as “permanent supportive housing” for the homeless. The City of Dallas Office of Homeless Solutions’ guiding philosophy is “housing first,” which has been pushed by the federal government since the Obama administration.
“Housing first” policies focus on providing housing for the homeless without requirements for sobriety, counseling, etc. 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.
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.