The Office of Homeless Solutions has moved to Phase 2 of its Temporary Inclement Weather Shelter plan, opening additional shelters.
Temporary Inclement Weather Shelter (TIWS) was initially activated on Sunday evening by the Office of Homeless Solutions (OHS), which opened Austin Street Center, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, and Warren United Methodist Church as shelter locations, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
According to a Tuesday press release sent to The Dallas Express by the City of Dallas, “Additional capacity has been necessitated, therefore the following location will also be opening and conducting intake starting at 6 p.m.: J. Erik Jonsson Central Library at 1515 Young Street.”
“Unsheltered individuals may seek shelter at the library while awaiting the intake process,” the City said.
The OHS also activated Reverchon Recreation Center at 3505 Maple Ave. as an additional shelter, beginning intake at 10 a.m. on Wednesday.
The recreation center will serve as an overflow shelter in the event that the library meets or exceeds capacity.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, TIWS can be activated by the OHS if the temperature is below 36 degrees in wet conditions with a 50% or greater chance of precipitation or if the temperature is below 32 degrees in dry conditions for three or more consecutive hours between 4 p.m. and 8 a.m.
In a prior press release, the City said that in addition to its TIWS sites, “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. For all other inquiries, please contact [email protected].”
Dallas’ new TIWS plan, instituted by the City in December, operates in three phases. The OHS activated Phase 1 on Sunday with the opening of the three aforementioned sites. When those three sites reach capacity, Phase 2 activates the J. Erik Jonsson Central Library at 1515 Young St. as an additional shelter.
Phase 3 of the plan, described as a “worst case scenario,” would move all temporary inclement weather shelter operations to Fair Park if the previously opened shelters reached capacity.
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, noting that “giving spare change without offering support could make matters worse.”
However, many vagrants choose to live on the streets of Dallas rather than take advantage of the services offered by the City and non-profit organizations. One way to address this issue could be to establish a single focal point for services, such as the Haven for Hope in San Antonio.
As the situation has not been meaningfully addressed, homelessness and vagrancy concerns continue to worsen in Dallas. Polling conducted by The Dallas Express concluded that 63% of Dallasites believe that “homelessness, vagrancy, and panhandling” are “serious problems in Dallas.”
Another survey determined that 76% of downtown residents believe that “homelessness is a significant issue.” Respondents compared the situation in Dallas’ to that of cities like Austin, Houston, Chicago, and New York City.
