A new study says that the cost of homelessness in Dallas and Collin counties cost nearly $194 million last year alone.
The figure is an estimate derived from the Housing Forward 2023 Point-in-Time survey. Of the $194 million cost to care for the homeless population in Dallas and Collin counties, $60 million (more than 30%) was spent on medical treatment, while $16 million was the cost for those who landed in jail.
The survey concluded that there were approximately 4,410 individuals living on the streets in Dallas and Collin counties in 2023. That means the estimated cost per person last year was nearly $44,000. Dallas County Health and Human Services (DCHHS) Director Dr. Philip Huang says helping get as many people as possible off the streets could help relieve the healthcare system and reduce the cost to taxpayers.
“We really wanted to see what was out there in terms of information to make an estimate on what was the impact and cost from an economic standpoint of homelessness,” said Huang, per FOX 4 KDFW.
In October, The Dallas Express reported that the City of Dallas had successfully housed more than 100 people thanks to a program known as Street-to-Home. While Dallas continues to struggle with homelessness and encampments, it is among a small group of cities in the country that has actually recorded a drop in homelessness in recent years. According to Housing Forward, 24% fewer people live on the streets today than in 2021.
Huang stressed that the latest figures regarding the cost of homelessness in Dallas and Colin counties are a rough estimate.
“Based on the best information we could find — it’s an estimate; it’s not an exact number — but I tried to put some ballpark figures on that,” Dr. Huang said.
“It could continue to evolve as we get better numbers and better information. But based on what’s out there now, that’s what we’re coming up with,” he said, per Fox 4.