In a public-private partnership, Dallas County is teaming up with the Regional Black Contractors Association (RBCA) to buy an apartment complex in East Oak Cliff to be used as transitional housing for men leaving the prison system.
According to FOX 4 News, the county will buy the complex with funds from the American Rescue Plan. Dallas County is investing $6.7 million to purchase the complex, which has approximately 70 units. It is located at 2125 Second Street in Oak Cliff.
The facility has been renamed Joseph Lockridge Housing in honor of one of the first black legislators in Texas.
Ex-offenders exiting the prison system can stay in the transitional housing units for up to one year, and they must also enroll in the RBCA’s “Second Chance” program through Dallas college. The program, which provides technical skills training and job placement assistance for its clients, is designed to give ex-convicts a fresh start in their new life outside prison walls.
Kimberly Shaw from the Regional Black Contractors Association noted that people coming out of prison might be “couch-surfing,” and even though they are not on the street, they are still classified as homeless. Shaw added that it is difficult for people leaving prison to get housing because of their history.
“Once you get to those background check questions and previous rental history, it’s just another barrier,” Shaw said.
Shaw said that giving the housing residents jobs will raise their self-esteem, self-reliance, and independence. She added that the very long-lasting effect of the jobs would not only affect them, but it will affect their children, family, and the community as a whole.
“It gives them skills training and certifications that make them competitive when they go out into the workforce,” Shaw said.
