City of Dallas officials have lauded a decrease in homelessness over the past several years by citing the “Point-in-Time Count,” but Council Member Jesse Moreno is challenging whether this is an accurate way to measure homelessness.
“I question a lot of our Point-in-[Time] Count numbers,” he said during a Tuesday meeting of the Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee. Moreno specifically took issue with “the time of day that it’s done [and] the time of year that it’s done.”
“The decreases that we’re seeing overall — it’s not what I’m seeing each and every single day in my community,” he said. “These numbers — I don’t see how they back up.”
Moreno was responding to a presentation from Office of Homeless Solutions Director Christine Crossley in which she cited the 2023 Point-in-Time Count as evidence of a 4% decrease in overall homelessness, a 14% decrease in unsheltered homelessness, and a 32% decline in chronic homelessness since 2019.
This year’s Point-in-Time Count estimated “4,244 individuals experiencing homelessness on a single night” in January.
Crossley said a more in-depth conversation on the Point-in-Time Count could be included in an October briefing on the REAL Time Rehousing Initiative.
The Point-in-Time Count is required by federal law to be conducted every January. Housing Forward undertakes the task for Dallas and Collin counties with the help of volunteers.
Despite Council Member Moreno’s concerns, Housing Forward President and CEO Joli Robinson assured The Dallas Express that the Point-in-Time Count is “the most reliable estimate of homelessness available and the only measure of unsheltered homelessness.”
“It provides a one-day snapshot for illuminating year-on-year changes and trends (similar to the U.S. Census), helps communities understand the extent of homelessness, changing trends, and the measure of their success in making homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring,” she said.
“We utilize street outreach workers, service providers, and community-wide volunteers to conduct the count during the evening, to ensure we’re surveying individuals in the area where they generally spend the night … when shelters are generally most full,” she said.
Robinson noted the organization relies on these “experienced professionals” who “work each day in the homeless response system” to perform the count, as well as “conduct Point-in-Time Count surveys & interviews.” She added that the process also involves “gather[ing] data and information from shelter & housing providers so that we get the most accurate count.”
Still, while local officials cite the Point-in-Time Count as evidence that homelessness is decreasing, Dallas residents maintain that homelessness is still a “major” issue throughout the city.
Meanwhile, the “one-stop-shop” strategy of Haven for Hope in San Antonio has been credited with a 77% reduction in homelessness within the city. Haven for Hope offers supportive services in conjunction with housing on the same campus, as reported by The Dallas Express.
Haven for Hope’s team recently discussed its keys to success with The Dallas Express co-founder Sarah Zubiate Bennett in the second episode of The Dallas Express Podcast.
The nonprofit’s all-in-one strategy has also polled favorably among Dallas residents. Mayor Eric Johnson recently visited Haven for Hope in San Antonio, but it remains to be seen whether the City of Dallas will consider a similar approach.
Tuesday’s discussion between officials about the Point-in-Time Count occurred within the context of a briefing about a potential “temporary housing” pilot program for the homeless. However, this proposal faced resistance from some committee members, as reported by The Dallas Express.
