The City of Dallas has activated temporary inclement weather shelters for the homeless.
“Freezing rain, ice accumulations and ice-related travel impacts will be possible Monday through Wednesday,” the City tweeted Sunday evening. “The Office of Homeless Solutions has activated Temporary Inclement Weather Shelters due to these conditions.”
The main locations being used as shelters are Austin Street Center at 2929 Hickory Street, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church at 3014 Oak Lawn Ave., and Warren United Methodist Church at 3028 South Malcolm X Blvd.
Temporary Inclement Weather Shelters (TIWS) can be activated by the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS) if the temperature is 36 degrees in wet conditions with a 50% or greater chance of precipitation or if the temperature is 32 degrees in dry conditions with three or more consecutive hours between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.
In a press release sent to The Dallas Express, the City said the OHS is continuing its activation of TIWS for the night of January 30, “based on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric forecast, in accordance with Chapter 45 of City Code.”
The City said that in addition to the sites mentioned above, “individuals experiencing homelessness are encouraged to seek shelter at any of the City’s existing overnight shelter provider locations, which can be found here.”
“We also recognize that while best practice is to seek warm shelter, some individuals may refuse assistance,” the statement continued. “To help improve their chance of survival, cold weather packs will be available at recreational centers across the City and in bulk from OHS via [email protected].”
During a 3 p.m. press conference, OHS Assistant Director Wanda Moreland shared an update on her office’s sheltering activities.
“We activated our temporary inclement weather sheltering last night at 2929 Hickory St. They started intake last night at 4:30 and intake is still going on today,” she said. “This afternoon, we will also be adding two additional sites. Oak Lawn United Methodist Church and Warren United Methodist Church will be opening and starting intake at 4:30.”
“We will continue to monitor the weather and the capacity at each location and we will decide if other expansions to the central library will be necessary after we see what the capacity looks like this afternoon,” she continued.
Teresa Thomas, director of advancement communications, told The Dallas Express that Austin Street Center’s previous facility at 2929 Hickory Street can be used to shelter 360 individuals when used as an inclement weather shelter.
“The Inclement Weather Shelter opened today at 4 p.m. and is expected to be open through the week (possibly Wednesday or Thursday) until temperatures rise,” she said. “Shelter guests can stay 24 hours and will receive breakfast, lunch, and dinner, along with access to showers, restroom facilities, and health care.”
Dallas’ new TIWS plan, instituted by the City in December, operates in three phases. The OHS has activated Phase 1, which opens the three aforementioned sites. When those three sites reach capacity, Phase 2 will activate J. Erik Jonsson Central Library at 1515 Young St. as an additional shelter.
The City’s press release also encouraged Dallas residents to “Give Responsibly”; to deter vagrancy, the City discourages people from giving money directly to panhandlers, suggesting that “giving spare change without offering support could make matters worse.”
However, many vagrants continue to willingly live on the streets of Dallas rather than utilize the services offered by the City and non-profit organizations. This could be due in part to the failure of the City to establish a single focal point for services like Haven for Hope in San Antonio.
Homelessness and vagrancy concerns have continued to worsen in Dallas. Polling conducted by The Dallas Express found that 63% of Dallasites believe that “homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling” continue to be “serious problems in Dallas.”
Another survey found that 76% of downtown residents believe that “homelessness is a significant issue.” Respondents compared Dallas’ situation to that of cities like Austin, Houston, Chicago, and New York City.
