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TALK ABOUT THOSE STREAMLINED PATHWAYS INTO HOUSING.
ONE OF THOSE CRITICAL COMPONENTS IS THE COORDINATED OUTREACH, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR HANNAH TALK A LOT ABOUT THE ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING WORK THAT WE DO.
HOUSING NAVIGATION IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
UNIT LOCATION IS VITALLY IMPORTANT IN FLEX FUND.
I WILL ALWAYS MAKE A PLUG THAT WE HAVE TO GET REALLY SERIOUS AS A CITY ABOUT, UM, CREATING AND MAINTAINING DEEPLY AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, THIS DEMOGRAPHIC ALSO NEEDS THAT, BUT WE HAVE A LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT TEAM THAT'S GOING OUT EVERY DAY, COLD CALL, KNOCKING ON DOORS, DRIVING BY ENGAGING LANDLORDS THAT THEY HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH SO THAT WE CAN ADD MORE UNITS TO OUR SYSTEM.
AND THOSE UNITS ARE THEN AVAILABLE TO ALL.
BUT YOU'LL SEE THE GRAPHIC IS REALLY THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
GETTING BETTER AT ASSESSING NEEDS, UM, GETTING BETTER AT NAVIGATING INDIVIDUALS TO THE APPROPRIATE INTERVENTION THAT MEETS THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS, AND THEN CONNECTING THEM TO THE RIGHT HOUSING RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING, PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, UM, OR ANY TYPE OF DIVERSION.
THE NEXT SLIDE REALLY GOES INTO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR AROUND DALLAS REAL TIME.
LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, YOU'LL HEAR ME TALK ABOUT WE WE'RE NOW EXPANDING OUR REACH BECAUSE OF ALL THIS FUNDING THAT WE'VE HAD COME INTO OUR SYSTEM OVER THE LAST YEAR, YEAR AND A HALF, WE'VE REALLY BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND THE WORK THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.
SO IN THE FUTURE, YOU ALL WILL RECEIVE.
I, TO ME, IS A BETTER PICTURE OF THE TOTALITY OF WHAT THE SYSTEM IS DOING RIGHT NOW.
WHEN WE DO THE DALLAS REALTIME PRESENTATIONS, YOU'RE GETTING VERY SPECIFIC DATA ABOUT DALLAS REALTIME.
BUT IN THE FUTURE WITH THAT EXPANSION, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE HOW OUR SYSTEM IS PERFORMING THROUGH DIVERSION AND OTHER, OTHER INTERVENTIONS.
BUT HERE'S WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, AS OF JULY 24TH, UH, FOR DALLAS REALTIME, WE'VE HOUSED OVER 2300 INDIVIDUALS, WHICH IS PHENOMENAL.
REALLY, THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO THE AMAZING WORK, UH, ACROSS OUR SYSTEM TO WORK EVEN MORE COLLABORATIVELY AND EFFECTIVELY.
TOGETHER, WE'VE ADDED DALLAS REALTIME AND THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED HAS ALLOWED US TO ADD THE 80 CASE MANAGERS TO OUR SYSTEM, WHICH IS VITALLY IMPORTANT.
WE GET A LOT OF QUESTIONS AROUND, ARE PEOPLE RECEIVING WRAPAROUND SERVICES? ARE THEY RECEIVING THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED? AND IT'S OUR ABILITY TO HAVE CASE MANAGERS IN THE SYSTEM THAT MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND THEN YOU HEARD ME MENTION JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE TREMENDOUS WORK OF OUR LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
SO YOU SEE THOSE NUMBERS THERE.
THE PRIVATE FUNDING THAT WAS RAISED THROUGH THE DALLAS REAL TIME HAS ALLOWED US TO INCREASE OUR FLEX FUND OPPORTUNITY, WHICH REMOVES THOSE BARRIERS.
IF YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME PRESENT BEFORE, THOSE BARRIERS, LIKE, UH, RENTAL ARREARS, UTILITY ARREARS, WHEN I, I PHYSICALLY SIGN, UH, WHEN THOSE CHECKS ARE GOING OUT.
AND SO YOU MAY SEE TWO, $300 OF RENTAL ARREARS OR UTILITY ARREARS.
AND THAT'S THE ONE THING PREVENTING AN INDIVIDUAL FROM BEING HOUSED.
AND SO FOR MANY OF US, WE RELY ON FAMILY, FRIENDS.
WE HAVE A SUPPORT SYSTEM AND SAFETY NET THAT ALLOWS US TO PAY THOSE THINGS, UM, IN OUR PAST.
BUT FOR MANY OF OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS, THAT SAFETY SYS THAT SAFETY NET AND SYSTEM JUST ISN'T THERE.
AND SO IT REALLY IS SUCH A BENEFIT TO US BECAUSE GOVERNMENT FUNDING CAN'T BE USED FOR THINGS SUCH AS THAT.
BUT TO GO OUT AND RAISE THOSE PRIVATE DOLLARS SO THAT WE CAN REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS THAT ARE PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM GETTING HOUSED IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR US.
AND THEN REALLY THE ADDITION OF THE ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING PROCESS AND HOW WELL THAT IS WORKING IS, IS PHENOMENAL AND IS ALLOWING US TO GET PEOPLE HOUSED DIRECTLY FROM OUTSIDE.
UH, I ALWAYS LOVE TO PROVIDE CLARITY AND, AND, AND, UM, DISPEL ANY OF THE MISCONCEPTIONS.
IT IS A CASE BY CASE CURATED PROCESS FOR A CLIENT THAT IS OUTSIDE ONE OF OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS.
IT'S NOT JUST AS SIMPLE AS WE SEE SOMEONE OUTSIDE, WE ARE GONNA GIVE YOU A KEY TO YOUR OWN APARTMENT AND FAIR THE, WELL, GOOD LUCK TO YOU.
BUT REALLY IT'S ABOUT LOOKING AT THAT INDIVIDUAL.
WE HAVE NORTH TEXAS BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AS A PARTNER.
WE HAVE PARKLAND AS A PARTNER THAT'S ENGAGING OUR CLIENTS SO THAT WE CAN GET THE BEST RESOURCES THAT THEY NEED, BUT I'M NOT GONNA STEAL ANY OF THE THUNDER OR SHINE.
THE, UM, STATE OF HOMELESSNESS.
I DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO PRESENT TO THIS GROUP AFTER THE STATE OF HOMELESSNESS, WHICH WE DID EARLIER THIS YEAR.
BUT WHAT WE SAW ACROSS DALLAS AND COLLIN COUNTY, AGAIN, HOUSING FORWARD COVERS THOSE TWO COUNTIES.
UH, WE SAW OVER 4,200 PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS ON THAT, UH, ON THAT TIME DURING THE POINT IN TIME COUNT.
THE POINT IN TIME COUNT IS A FEDERALLY MANDATED PROCESS FOR US TO DO.
WE KEEP, UH, AS CONSISTENT AS POSSIBLE, BARRING ANY WEATHER PROCESS SO THAT WE KNOW WE'RE COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES.
AND SO DURING THAT LAST, UH, POINT IN TIME COUNT, WE SAW 14% REDUCTION IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS.
YEAR OVER YEAR, WE SAW 32% REDUCTION IN CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
AS YOU SEE, WE CONTINUE TO ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THE RACIAL BREAKDOWN AND THE GENDER BREAKDOWN.
WE STILL HAVE A MAJORITY MALE THAT'S EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE THAT
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IDENTIFY AS BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS.I WANNA SAY THIS HAS BEEN OUR LOWEST COUNT IN FIVE YEARS.
AND WE KNOW, UM, THAT IT CAN BE DIRECTLY TIED TO NOT ONLY THE SYSTEM TRANSFORMATION THAT HAS HAPPENED, THE INVESTMENTS, THE FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED, BUT THE WAY THAT WE DO BUSINESS, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING, REALLY, IS GETTING PEOPLE HOUSED EVEN FASTER.
UM, WE DID WANNA SHOW THE SUBPOPULATIONS AND WHERE WE SAW SOME OF THE INCREASES IN, UM, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS DURING OUR LAST POINT IN TIME COUNT, UH, YOU'LL SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF HOUSING THAT THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE IN, WHETHER IT'S EMERGENCY SHELTER OR UNSHELTERED OR TRANSITIONAL HOUSING.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH OUR PARTNERS THAT ARE IN THE VETERAN SYSTEM, THE FAMILY SYSTEM, AND THE YOUTH SYSTEM TO TALK ABOUT HOW CAN WE CONTINUE TO MOST EFFECTIVELY SERVE THOSE SUBPOPULATIONS.
SO I'M GONNA GIVE YOU A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE JUST TO ILLUMINATE HOW THAT WORK HAPPENS.
THERE'S A YOUTH WORK GROUP THAT MEETS EVERY MONTH WHEN THEY LOOK AT THE DATA AND THEY LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND COME TOGETHER.
AND WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED A YOUTH ACTION BOARD THAT'S COMPRISED OF YOUTH THAT ARE AND HAVE EXPERIENCED HOMELESSNESS AND HAVE ENGAGED OUR SYSTEM IN SOME WAY.
THIS LAST CONVERSATION REALLY WAS AROUND YOUTH WOULD LOVE A RESOURCE CENTER, A HUB THAT THEY CAN GO TO, RIGHT? KIND OF A ONE-STOP SHOP THAT WOULD THEN DO SOME TRIAGE AND ASSESSMENT AND THEN GET THEM ROUTED TO THE APPROPRIATE PLACE.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO AS A SYSTEM, IS TO BRING ALL SERVICE PROVIDERS TO THE TABLE, BRING PEOPLE WITH LIVED EXPERTISE, IS WHAT WE CALL IT TO THE TABLE, TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BEST SERVE THAT POPULATION.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE DO FOR EACH OF US SUBPOPULATIONS AS WELL, REALLY BRINGING THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO THE TABLE SO THAT WE DON'T CONTINUE TO SEE A STEADY INCREASE IN THOSE NUMBERS AND POPULATION.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT I MENTIONED OF HOW WE DO THAT WORK IS ON THIS SLIDE.
SO FOR YOUTH, THOSE TARGETED INVESTMENT FOR EVERYONE, YOUTH, FAMILIES, AND VETERANS, JUST A TARGETED INVESTMENT WE HAVE TO CREATE AND FIND PERMANENT HOUSING SOLUTIONS FOR ALL.
BUT REALLY SUSTAINING AND EXPANDING ALL THE WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED, UH, FOR FAMILIES, WE'VE UTILIZED THE, THE, UH, DAY ONE FAMILIES FUND, WHICH WAS A $1.25 MILLION GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED.
WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY BLOWN OUR DIVERSION EFFORTS UP.
UH, AND WHAT I MEAN THAT LIKE, IN A GOOD WAY, WE HAVE IT ON STEROIDS NOW.
SO FAMILY GATEWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, DOES TREMENDOUS WORK IN DIVERSION.
I THINK IF, IF WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DATA BEFORE, IT MAY TAKE $12,000 TO BRING A FAMILY INTO A SHELTER, BUT ONLY $1,200 TO MEET THE NEED OF, OF SOME OF, OF SOME OF THE IMMEDIATE THINGS THAT THEY MAY NEED.
AND DIVERT INDIVIDUALS FROM A SHELTER.
A SHELTER ROUTE IS TRAUMATIC FOR INDIVIDUALS.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE RIGHT DECISION TO MAKE, BUT DIVERSION REALLY ALLOWS US TO DO THE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO SO THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT HAVING TO COME, COME INTO SHELTER.
AND THAT MAY LOOK LIKE JUST CONNECTING PEOPLE TO FAMILIES, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING FOR VETERANS, WE'RE WORKING THIS YEAR TO DO THE OFFICIAL DECLARATION, WHICH WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT.
UM, AS MANY READ AND HEARD IN THE NEWS, WE WERE SELECTED.
WE WERE ONE OF SIX COMMUNITIES SELECTED FOR THE ALL INSIDE WHITE HOUSE INITIATIVE.
AND REALLY IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE TAKE THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEEN, THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN DOING WELL, AND HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THE FULL CAPACITY AND WEIGHT OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND FEDERAL AGENCIES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN EVEN BETTER.
SO WE'VE HAD RACHEL THAT'S BEEN HERE, I I THINK IT'S BEEN SIX WEEKS.
RACHEL FROM, OH, EXCUSE ME, SHE'S LOGGED ON.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S BEEN ABOUT SIX WEEKS THAT SHE'S BEEN HERE.
AND SO RIGHT NOW IT'S LIKE SHE'S SEEING THE LAY OF THE LAND.
SHE'S, SHE'S UNDERSTANDING HOW OUR SYSTEMS WORK, UH, TOGETHER.
SHE'S UNDERSTANDING MAYBE SOME PAIN POINTS THAT WE'RE HAVING AND EXPERIENCING, AND WE'RE LIKE, CAN YOU TAKE THIS BACK TO HUD AND HELP US UNDERSTAND OR PROBLEM SOLVE AROUND, YOU KNOW, SUCH AND SUCH TOPIC.
IF IT'S VOUCHERS, HOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT VOUCHERS BEING, UM, BEING ADDED TO OUR SYSTEM? SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT SHE'S REALLY HELPING US DO.
AND SO SHE'LL BE HERE FOR TWO YEARS.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN JUST AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE THAT NEXT LEVEL OF, OF PARTNERSHIP.
I MEAN, I HAVE TO ADMIT, WHEN WE ARE DOING THE DAY-TO-DAY BUSINESS OF ENSURING WE'RE GETTING OUR UNHOUSED NEIGHBORS HOUSED, IT IS A BREATH OF FRESH AIR TO HAVE, LIKE THIS THIRD PARTY THAT'S LIKE, HERE'S ALL THE, I CALL IT, IF WE COULD DREAM A THOUSAND DREAMS, HERE'S THE THING I WOULD LOVE TO DO.
WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FIND IT.
FIGURE OUT WHO TO TALK TO, RIGHT? THAT WOULD TAKE ALL DAY.
AND SO IT'S BEEN JUST GREAT TO LEVERAGE HER EXPERTISE AND CONNECTIONS IN THAT WAY.
YOU HEARD ME TALK ABOUT THE 1.25 MILLION FROM THE DAY ONE FAMILIES FUND, THE 22.8 MILLION.
THAT WAS AN ANNOUNCEMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR THAT YOU ALL, UM, MAY
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HAVE HEARD, AND I THINK SOME OF YOU ATTENDED AS WELL.UH, THAT PRESS CONFERENCE AND THEN THE 22 MILLION, WE SAW 20% INCREASE IN OUR ANNUAL CONTINUUM OF CARE FUNDING.
REALLY, THIS, THIS TYPE OF, THESE TYPE OF RESOURCES BEING ADDED TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE DAY ONE FAMILIES FUND WASN'T EVEN SOMETHING WE KNEW WAS OUT THERE FOR US TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
THEY REACHED OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY WERE SEEING HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORK THAT WE WERE DOING.
AND SO THEY REACHED OUT TO US, UM, TO PROVIDE THAT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO REALLY, THE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY ARE, ARE PROOF THAT WE ARE WORKING MORE EFFECTIVELY, MORE COLLABORATIVELY IN A WAY THAT IS SEEING RESULTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT, IT'S REALLY, THAT'S WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US.
ARE WE MAKING THE EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS RARE, BRIEF, AND NON-RECURRING.
SO BECAUSE OF THESE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE COME INTO OUR COMMUNITY, WHICH WE, WHEN DALLAS REALTIME WAS FIRST ROLLED OUT, NONE OF THESE COMMITMENTS OR, OR RESOURCES WERE ON THE HORIZON FOR US.
SO WE COULDN'T, IT WASN'T EVEN LIKE WE COULD INCLUDE IT IN THE PLAN, BUT NOW THAT WE'VE HAD THOSE RESOURCES COME TO THE TABLE.
WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THE UNSHELTERED FUNDING THAT'S COME IN, THE DIVERSION FUNDING THAT'S COME IN, AND THE INCREASE IN OUR ANNUAL CONTINUUM OF CARE, UM, UH, FUNDING.
WE'RE ABLE TO THEN EXPAND OUR ORIGINAL GOAL OF HOUSING OVER 2,700.
WE'RE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT TO HOUSE 6,000 PEOPLE BY 2025 BY THE END OF 2025.
AND THAT MEANS YOU ALL ARE GONNA START SEEING A MORE COMPREHENSIVE PICTURE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
HOW MANY FAMILIES OR INDIVIDUALS ARE WE HELPING SERVE THROUGH DIVERSION? HOW MANY FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS ARE WE HELPING TO SERVE THROUGH RAPID REHOUSING AND PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, TO ME, IT, IT SHOWS A BETTER PICTURE.
OFTENTIMES WHEN I'M ON, UH, I WAS GONNA CALL IT THE DUSTY TRAIL, BUT IT'S THE HOT TRAIL TODAY AS WE'RE ON THE TRAIL TO TALK ABOUT DALLAS REALTIME.
I THINK IT, IT, I THINK IT, AGAIN, IT'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT THE ONLY THING OUR SYSTEM IS DOING IS DALLAS REALTIME.
AND SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT WHAT THE FULLER PICTURE AND THE EXPANSION OF DALLAS REALTIME.
SO WE'RE GONNA GET RID OF DALLAS REALTIME.
WE'RE CALLING IT REALTIME REHOUSING, R T R A BETTER ACRONYM FOR ALL OF US.
UM, AND SO YOU'LL START TO SEE A REPORT OUT ON THAT DATA REGULARLY, WHICH I THINK IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO SEE THE TOTALITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SYSTEM.
UH, THIS TALKS ALSO ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, THE ADDITION OF THOSE, THE 480 NEW SLOTS, BUT REALLY IT'S HOW ARE WE COMING TOGETHER WITH OUR BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEMS, UM, SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE FOR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, SPECIFICALLY THAT CLIENTS HAVE A HOLISTIC, UM, SUPPORT AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT THEY NEED THAT'S REALLY INTENSIVE AND AGGRESSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT.
UM, AND, AND WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT, THAT'S REALLY, THE CLIENT RATIO IS A BIT DIFFERENT THAN A, A CLIENT THAT MAY NOT HAVE AS HIGH NEEDS.
UM, THE WAY THAT, UH, CASE MANAGERS ENGAGE AN INDIVIDUAL WOULD BE DIFFERENT.
BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A NEED WITHIN OUR SYSTEM TO HAVE, UH, AN INTERVENTION THAT'S PERMANENT, THAT'S SUPPORTIVE AND, AND COMES WITH HOUSING.
AND SO REALLY, WE, WE THINK ABOUT IT AS IMPROVING THE OUTCOMES OF OUR CLIENTS.
AND WE HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR, UH, PROVIDERS THAT WERE SELECTED FOR THAT.
AND SO WE'RE JUST EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM.
I'M GONNA READ THEM OFF 'CAUSE I DON'T, UH, WANNA MISS ANYONE.
BUT THE PROJECTS AND THE, AND THE SERVICE PROVIDERS THAT WERE SELECTED IS THE STUPOT UNDER ONE ROOF, METROCARE, THE BRIDGE, SALVATION ARMY, PLANO, AND CITY SQUARE.
SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT, UM, UH, LAUNCHING INTO THAT, UH, TO REALLY, UM, ENHANCE OUR PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING HERE IN THE SYSTEM.
AND THAT FUNDING COVERS VOUCHERS, IT COVERS CASE MANAGEMENT, AND THEN THOSE INTEGRATED SERVICE TEAMS THAT PROVIDE THAT INTENSIVE CASE MANAGEMENT NEXT SLIDE.
AND I KNOW WE'LL BE GETTING MORE INTO THIS IN A MINUTE AND HANNAH'S GONNA DO A REALLY THOROUGH JOB OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
JUST TO UPDATE EVERYBODY, WE'VE CLOSED, I THINK IT'S 15 ENCAMPMENTS NOW, NOT, UH, IN 222 OR 23 RESIDENTS HOUSE, UH, INCLUDING ONE OF THE LARGEST IN THE CITY.
UM, THAT WAS DOWN IN DISTRICT TWO AND SIX, UM, BY AUSTIN STREET.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK, BUT WE ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE, AS JOEY SAID, THAT WE NEED TO DO MORE AND MORE QUICKLY.
UM, AND SO THE FUNDING AND VOUCHERS THAT HAVE BEEN HIGHLIGHTED COMING INTO THE SYSTEM ARE, UM, WONDERFUL AND WILL ENABLE THAT WORK.
BUT WHAT WAS NOT FUNDED WAS CASE MANAGE OR WAS OUTREACH, THE OUTREACH STAFF WHO ARE HOUSING READINESS FOCUSED TO GO OUT AND ENGAGE IN THAT WORK.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE PROPOSED CITY BUDGET THAT JUST CAME OUT ON TUESDAY, WE'RE STARTING OUR FIRST TOWN HALLS, OR TONIGHT
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THERE'S A $1.5 MILLION IN THERE.AND THAT'S TO PROVIDE THESE 16 ADDITIONAL, UH, STAFF WORK STAFFERS, OUTREACH WORKERS TO THE SYSTEM.
AND THOSE WOULD BE CONTRACTED OUT.
THOSE WOULDN'T BE SOMETHING THAT O H S DOES.
UM, AND THE, THE, THE LOGIC THERE IS THAT O H SS IS LARGELY OUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY BUCKET.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE KIND OF THE CRISIS RESPONSE WHEN THERE'S CONSTITUENT OR RESIDENT ISSUES, SOMETHING'S UNSAFE, UH, T RIGHT OF WAY NORTH TEXAS HALLWAY AUTHORITY RIGHT OF WAY, ALL THE THINGS THAT LEAD TO SERVICE ENGAGEMENT, BUT ARE REALLY MORE OF ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC NEED IN THAT TIME ARE WHAT O H S DOES.
AND THEN WE HAVE OUR THREE, UM, R T R STAFF.
AND SO RECOGNIZING THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T MISSION CREEP AND THAT WE HAVE CLEAR BOUNDARIES ON WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO IT, UM, IT MADE MORE SENSE FOR US TO HAVE THE MONEY GO OUT AND BE CONTRACTED SO THAT THERE ARE OUTREACH WORKERS WHO CAN BE SPECIFICALLY HOUSING READINESS FOCUSED AND WORK WITH THIS LARGER PROJECT THAT'S ONGOING.
SO WE'RE EXCITED FOR THAT TO BE IN THE BUDGET, UM, AND FOR THAT TO REALLY FACILITATE, UM, THE USE OF CASE MANAGEMENT, UM, FUNDING FOR CASE MANAGERS AND THE HOUSING SUBSIDY FTES.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, I REALLY DON'T, AS YOU SAID, I DON'T WANNA SEE ANY MORE OF HANNAH'S SHINE.
'CAUSE THE REST OF THIS SHE'S GONNA GET INTO.
UM, SO I THINK UNLESS YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY, DO YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND INTRODUCE HANNAH? YEAH, I WOULD JUST ADD A, A NOTE I ALWAYS LIKE TO TELL PEOPLE.
AND WHY IS THAT IMPORTANT? WE GET QUESTIONS AROUND THE BUDGET AND ADDITIONAL DOLLARS BEING ADDED TO THE BUDGET.
BUT, BUT LET ME REALLY EXPLAIN WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE ADDITIONAL STREET OUTREACH WORKERS ADDED TO OUR SYSTEM WITH A HOUSING READINESS FOCUS.
I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT VISIBLE HOMELESSNESS THAT MANY RESIDENTS TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME, COMPLAIN ABOUT, UM, ARE, ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, IS PROBABLY A BETTER WAY TO SAY IT.
OUR STREET OUTREACH WORKERS THAT HAVE A HOUSING READINESS FOCUS ARE, ARE REALLY THINKING ABOUT AND SERVING THAT POPULATION OF VISIBLE HOMELESSNESS THAT MANY PEOPLE SEE MOST DAYS THAT THEY'RE OUT IN THE CITY.
WITH THE LIMITED CAPACITY OF STREET OUTREACH TEAM MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE, WE HAVE THE WHOLE SWATH, ESPECIALLY IN THE CITY OF DALLAS, NORTH, SOUTH, EAST, AND WEST.
THEY'RE NOT JUST CONCENTRATED IN DOWNTOWN.
THEY'RE NOT JUST CONCENTRATED OFF FOREST IN SEVEN FIVE.
THEY'RE NOT JUST CONCENTRATED IN WHATEVER NEIGHBORHOOD PEOPLE WOULD PREFER THEM BE CONCENTRATED IN.
AND WE KNOW THAT IS NOT ENOUGH FOR US TO MOVE QUICKLY TO ENGAGE CLIENTS.
I ALSO COUCH IT IN A CLIENT-FOCUSED RESPONSE.
IT IS TRAUMATIC TO LIVE OUTSIDE.
WE DO NOT HAVE TIME ON OUR SIDE AS TEMPERATURES KEEP RISING AND, AND TEMPERATURES DIP RIDICULOUSLY LOW.
WE DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF TIME ON OUR SIDE THAT PEOPLE REMAIN UNHOUSED, ESPECIALLY UNSHELTERED.
SO THE WHY AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT TO ADD THOSE ADDITIONAL STREET OUTREACH TEAM MEMBERS WITH THAT HOUSING READINESS FOCUS IS BECAUSE THEY ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT FOCUS ON GETTING CRITICAL DOCUMENTS, GET PEOPLE, UH, CONNECTED TO SERVICES THAT THEY MAY NEED.
AND THEY REALLY ARE THERE TO SERVE A POPULATION THAT IS NOT IN A SHELTER.
UM, AND THAT THEY ARE EXPERIENCING THE TRAUMA OF, OF THE NATURAL ELEMENTS OUTSIDE.
I DO WANNA KICK IT OVER TO HANNAH.
I THINK HANNAH TELL ME, IS THE MANAGER OF CRISIS SOMETHING IN ANOTHER? YOU'RE VERY CLOSE.
I'M, I'M THE CRISIS SYSTEM MANAGER AT HOUSING BOARD.
UM, AND IN THAT ROLE I OVERSEE OUR ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING RESPONSE, WHICH IS A CO-LED INITIATIVE, UM, WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS, AS WELL AS OUR COORDINATED OUTREACH.
UM, BUT I'M VERY EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT'S HAPPENING WITH ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL TO KIND OF FRAME THIS WITH THE CONTEXT OF WHAT OUTREACH USED TO LOOK LIKE.
UM, FIVE YEARS AGO, I WAS A RECENT GRAD SCHOOL GRADUATE WHO WAS VERY NAIVE, VERY GREEN, AND VERY EAGER TO TAKE MY FIRST JOB AS A HOMELESS OUTREACH CASE MANAGER, UM, WITHIN OUR STUDY.
SO WHEN IT CAME TO MANAGING ENCAMPMENTS AT THAT TIME, OUR SYSTEM JUST DIDN'T HAVE ADEQUATE TOOLS TO EFFECTIVELY RESOLVE ENCAMPMENTS.
WE BASICALLY HAD THREE OPTIONS.
WE COULD ALLOW ENCAMPMENTS TO STAY, WE COULD DISPERSE PEOPLE WITH ENCAMPMENTS, WHICH WOULD INEVITABLY LEAD TO OTHER DISPERSE, SOMETIMES SMALLER, SOMETIMES LARGER ENCAMPMENTS THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY.
OR WE COULD TRY TO CRIMINALIZE OUR WAY OUT OF THIS.
AND I THINK ALL OF US CAN AGREE THOSE WERE NOT EFFECTIVE WAYS.
UM, AND THEY WERE NOT ACTUALLY AN EFFECTIVE TOOL TO END UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT OFTEN FELT LIKE AS AN OUTREACH WORKER, WE WERE CONSTANTLY BUTTING HEADS WITH OTHER ENTITIES.
WE WERE BUTTING HEADS WITH THE LEAD AGENCY AT THE TIME.
WE WERE BUTTING HEADS WITH THE CITY AT THE TIME.
AND ALL OF THAT REALLY JUST MEANT ENCAMPMENTS WERE GROWING LARGER.
UM, IT WAS HARDER TO DO OUR JOB AS OUTREACH WORKERS.
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WOULD BE CLEANED, OUR CLIENTS AND NEIGHBORS WOULD SCATTER.AND MY JOB AS AN OUTREACH WORKER CASE MANAGING 20 TO 30 PEOPLE WOULD JUST BECOME 10 TIMES HARDER.
SO LET'S HOP BACK IN A TIME MACHINE AND COME TO AUGUST 10TH, 2023, UM, AND TALK ABOUT WHAT ENCAMPMENT MODEL OF DECOMMISSIONING CURRENTLY LOOKS LIKE.
UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO FORWARD, I THINK TWO SLIDES.
SO ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING IS A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO PERMANENTLY CLOSE ENCAMPMENTS BY HOUSING ALL OF THE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIVE THERE.
SO THIS WORK IS DONE IN LOCKSTEP WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY OF DALLAS AND THE OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS.
AND THE DAY-TO-DAY ENGAGEMENT OF THIS WORK IS REALLY CARRIED OUT BY OUR INCREDIBLE OUTREACH PARTNERS ACROSS THE CONTINUUM OF CARE.
UM, AND MY CO-LEAD WITH O H S ALONZO GRAPE AND I WERE KIND OF THE LEAD CASE MANAGERS OVERSEEING THIS PROCESS.
SO OUR IDEAL TIMEFRAME FROM START TO FINISH FOR AN ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE SITE, IS REALLY ANYWHERE, UH, FROM SIX TO 12 WEEKS.
BUT THESE KIND OF IMAGE HEADERS ON THE SCREEN REALLY DO BREAK DOWN THE PHASES OF HOW THIS WORK IS DONE.
UM, I CANNOT UNDERSCORE ENOUGH JUST HOW COLLABORATIVE AND INTENTIONAL ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING WORK IS.
EVERYTHING FROM SITE SELECTION TO GATHERING CRITICAL DOCUMENTS, TO IDENTIFYING UNITS, TO FILLING OUT UNIT APPLICATIONS, TO MOVING SOMEONE INTO THEIR APARTMENT AND HANDING THEM A KEY AND GIVING THEM A MOVE-IN KIT THAT HAS EVERYTHING FROM LINNS TO POTS AND PANS TO DOING A WARM HANDOFF TO CASE MANAGERS AT THE TIME OF MOVE-IN.
AND THEN THAT CASE MANAGER ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF THAT CLIENT WITH A LANDLORD AS THEY GET ADJUSTED TO WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LIVE INTO A UNIT OF THEIR VERY OWN, WHERE THEIR NAME IS ON ELISE.
UM, ALL OF THIS WORK IS INCREDIBLY COLLABORATIVE AND INTENTIONAL IN HOW WE STRUCTURE OUR DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES.
SO ON HERE YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHAT THE KEY ACTIVITIES ARE UNDER EACH PHASE AND OUR REALLY CRITICAL KEY PARTNERS THAT HELP US CARRY OUT THIS WORK.
SO OUR KIND OF DAY-TO-DAY ACTIVITIES, IF YOU WERE TO KIND OF WANNA KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE AT AN ENCAMPMENT, UM, IT'S SOMETIMES A PRETTY CHAOTIC ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT'S ALWAYS STRUCTURED AND INTENTIONAL WITH HOW WE APPROACH THE WORK.
SO ONSITE, WE HAVE A DAILY 9:00 AM HUDDLE EVERY DAY TO REVIEW ASSIGNMENTS AND GOALS.
UM, THEN OUTREACH WORKERS PAIR UP AND KIND OF COMPLETE THE ACTIVITIES UNDER EACH PHASE.
SO IN GROUPS OF TWO, THEY'RE GOING AND ENGAGING WITH OUR NEIGHBORS.
THEY'RE BUILDING RAPPORT, THEY'RE DOING ALL OF THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE NEED IN OUR H M I S HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
UM, WE ARE COMPLETING APPLICATIONS, WE ARE GATHERING STATE IDS AND SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS AND BIRTH CERTIFICATES, ALL OF WHICH ARE CRITICAL AND NECESSARY FOR SOMEONE TO BE ABLE TO EVEN APPLY FOR AN APARTMENT.
UM, SO ONCE ALL THAT IS DONE DAY TO DAY, WE'RE THERE FROM ABOUT 9:00 AM TO AT LEAST NOON.
THEN OUR OUTREACH WORKERS GET A BREAK, THEY'RE ABLE TO GO BACK, HAVE LUNCH, DO THEIR DAILY DOCUMENTATION, AND THEN WE ALL HOP ON A FOUR O'CLOCK DAILY CALL.
AND I'M PRETTY SURE THE FOUR O'CLOCK DAILY CALL IS EVERYONE'S FAVORITE PART OF THE DAY.
UM, AND THAT INTENTIONALITY IS REALLY HOW WE STAY ON TRACK AND THEN HOW WE'RE ABLE AS PROJECT MANAGERS, ALONZO AND I, TO COMMUNICATE UP TO OUR LEADERSHIP.
SO THEY'RE ALSO VERY IN THE LOOP OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO THROUGH ENCAMPMENT, DECOMMISSIONING, WE'RE CLOSING SITES, BUT COMPARED TO THE TIME MACHINE THAT WE HOPPED IN AND WENT BACK TO FIVE YEARS AGO WHEN EVERYTHING WAS KIND OF, IT WAS CONFLICT AND IT WAS FRUSTRATING.
NOW WE'RE OPERATING IN A WAY THAT IS COLLABORATIVE.
UM, IT IS INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOUSING BEING THE GOAL.
UM, AND IT ULTIMATELY RESPECTS THE DIGNITY OF ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORS THAT ARE LIVING IN ENCAMPMENTS BECAUSE WE ARE OFFERING RESOURCES AND WE'RE ESSENTIALLY BRINGING THE ENTIRE HOMELESS RESPONSE SYSTEM TO THEM.
SO PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN TRADITIONALLY MARGINALIZED, UM, AND NAVIGATING A SYSTEM THAT IS REALLY COMPLEX AND HARD TO NAVIGATE, IT'S REALLY REWARDING TO BE ABLE TO BRING THIS WORK, UH, DIRECTLY TO THEM.
SO WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF OUTREACH THAT HAPPEN WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
UM, SO GENERAL OUTREACH IS WHEN TEAMS FROM MANY OF OUR CONTINUUM OF PEER PARTNERS, THEY HAVE OUTREACH TEAMS AND THEY ARE ENGAGING WITH PEOPLE ACROSS OUR CONTINUUM IN SIX OF OUR DESIGNATED ZONES.
SO WE HAVE SIX ZONES WITHIN OUR ENTIRE C O C, AND THEY'RE WORKING TO ENGAGE PEOPLE WITH THE GOAL OF CONNECTING THEM TO THE HOUSING SYSTEM.
UM, SO GETTING PEOPLE THEIR CRITICAL DOCUMENTS, GETTING PEOPLE VERIFICATIONS OF DISABILITY, REALLY PREPARING THEM FOR WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO GO INTO HOUSING AND ENSURING THEY HAVE ALL OF THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION.
SO BY THE TIME THAT REFERRAL IS MADE IN OUR COORDINATED ACCESS SYSTEM, IT'S A LOT EASIER TO GET THEM ON THE PATH TO HOUSING QUICKLY WITH AS FEW BARRIERS AS POSSIBLE.
UM, CHRISTINE TOUCHED QUICKLY ON HEALTH AND SAFETY OUTREACH, AND THE CITY OF DALLAS REALLY SPEARHEADS THAT INITIATIVE, UM, RESPONDING TO ENCAMPMENTS, UM, AND
[00:25:01]
RESPONDING TO CONSTITUENTS WHEN THERE'S LEGITIMATE HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS.AND THEN AS YOU CAN SEE, ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH REALLY DOES KIND OF BUNDLE ALL OF THOSE TOGETHER AND TRY TO FAST TRACK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, AN ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING WHERE EVERYONE WITHIN THE SITE IS ABLE TO BE HOUSED QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY.
SO THE, THE NEXT SLIDE IS GONNA TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP STRUCTURES.
UM, TO MANAGE OUR OUTREACH STRUCTURE.
WE'VE ORGANIZED OUR TEAMS AS EFFECTIVELY AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE COVERAGE AND KIND OF ALL OF OUR AREAS OF INFLUENCE TO MAKE THIS WORK WORK.
UM, SO THE CITY OF DALLAS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OUTREACH, PROVIDING, SAY, HEALTH AND SAFETY OUTREACH SERVICES AND CO-COORDINATING ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH, UM, WITH HOUSING FORD.
SO AS A LEAD AGENCY, UM, WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR COORDINATING OUR GENERAL OUTREACH AND ALSO CO CO-COORDINATING OUR ENCAMPMENT OUTREACH.
UM, AND TO DECOMMISSION A SITE, WE NEED SO MANY DIFFERENT PARTNERS AT THE TABLE.
SO HAVING ALONZO KIND OF HIS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE AS A CITY EMPLOYEE IN A CITY DEPARTMENT LIKE O H SS, HE'S ABLE TO PULL ALL OF THOSE IMPORTANT PARTNERS TOGETHER THAT WE NEED AT THE TABLE, LIKE THE MARSHALS CODE, UM, ADDITIONAL O H SS SUPPORT TO ACTUALLY DECOMMISSION AN ENCAMPMENT AND KEEP IT CLOSED.
AND THEN FROM THE LEAD AGENCY PERSPECTIVE, WE KIND OF HAVE THIS SPHERE OF INFLUENCE OVER HOUSING.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO PULL TOGETHER THE HOUSING AUTHORITIES, THE CASE MANAGEMENT TEAMS, THE UNIT LOCATION.
UM, SO THOSE TWO THINGS TOGETHER ARE KIND OF WHAT MAKE ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING REALLY EFFECTIVE.
AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD ARGUE PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE KIND OF THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND DOING THIS WORK.
UM, AND THOSE ARE WONDERFUL SERVICE PROVIDERS WHO HAVE STREET OUTREACH TEAMS WHO ARE INCREDIBLY TRAUMA INFORMED, UM, INCREDIBLY DEDICATED STAFF, AND THEY'RE REALLY THE ONLY REASON WHY THIS WORK WORKS.
UM, TO THE LAST SLIDE, I CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT OUR OUTCOMES HAVE BEEN FOR ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING.
SO OF THE SITES THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO CLOSE, WE'VE ENGAGED 266 NEIGHBORS, WE'VE HOUSED 223 AND 85% OF THOSE PEOPLE HAVE ACTUALLY MAINTAINED THEIR HOUSING.
UM, WHICH I THINK COMPARED TO THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS A REALLY GREAT STATISTIC TO BE ABLE TO SHARE.
UM, THIS IS WORK THAT I THINK IT JUST SHOWS HOW FAR OUR SYSTEM HAS COME, UM, FROM MY TIME AS AN OUTREACH WORKER TO NOW BEING ABLE TO BE IN THIS POSITION, UH, TO REALLY LEAD THIS WITH THE HELP OF REALLY INCREDIBLE PEOPLE, UM, IT'S BEEN AN ABSOLUTE HONOR TO BE A PART OF AND VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE HOW FAR OUR SYSTEM HAS COME.
UM, WE ARE IN NO WAY PERFECT, AND I THINK WE CONTINUE TO TWEAK OUR WORKFLOWS AND HOW WE APPROACH THIS WORK ENCAMPMENT BY ENCAMPMENT, BUT I DON'T THINK WE WILL EVER HAVE A PERFECT MODEL.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL TO BE SURROUNDED BY LEADERSHIP THAT IS WILLING TO ADJUST, BE CREATIVE, UM, ALL WITH THE GOAL OF HAVING AS MANY OF OUR NEIGHBORS AS WE CAN.
THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR LETTING ME SHARE ABOUT THIS.
AND WITH THAT, WE'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE CHAIR FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, AGAIN, WELCOME AND I, I APPRECIATE THAT THAT, UH, INSIGHT THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED.
UH, AND SO AT THIS TIME, I WILL OPEN, UH, UP THE FLOOR TO COMMISSIONERS WHO HAVE, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, UH, WE'LL, WE'LL DO ONE ROUND HERE AND, AND, UM, SEE IF WE CAN GET THROUGH EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS.
UH, BEFORE I START THAT, I JUST WANT TO, UH, UH, ACKNOWLEDGE DR.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS LOVE WHEN YOU COME BY AND HANG OUT WITH US.
I ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE DAVID GRUBER.
UH, SO GOOD TO SEE YOUR FACE HERE AS WELL.
AND SO WE'LL OPEN THE FLOOR UP TO COMMISSIONERS.
DO WE HAVE ANY COMMISSIONERS, UH, WITH QUESTIONS FOR THE PANEL? YOUR FIRST QUESTION WILL COME FROM COMMISSIONER JACOB.
UH, WHAT A WONDERFUL PRESENTATION.
AND I LOVE, UH, THE DEEP DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS.
UH, I'M A DATA PERSON MYSELF AND THE STORIES THAT CAN BE TOLD FROM DATA IS IMPORTANT.
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS THOUGH ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THE NUMBERS IN AND OF THEMSELVES, UH, ON THE PIT COUNT, UH, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY ON THE SLIDE, IT SAID A 14% REDUCTION IN, UH, HOMELESSNESS.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, UH, THAT, I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT, UH, IN UNSHELTERED, 14% REDUCTION IN UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS AND 32% REDUCTION IN CHRONIC HOMELESSNESS.
JUST TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS JUST, I MEAN, COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES PIT COUNTS OVER THE YEARS.
AND HAS THERE BEEN ANY THOUGHT OF, I MEAN, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, I MEAN, A, A ONE-TIME PIT COUNT, UH, IS A, UH, KIND OF A, A NATIONAL ASK.
HAVE WE AS A CITY OR AN OFFICE OF HOMELESS SOLUTIONS OR, UH, CON UH, CONGLOMERATION PERSPECTIVE LOOKED AT, LOOK AT DOING
[00:30:01]
LIKE QUARTERLY PIT COUNTS SO THAT WE CAN TRACK NUMBERS AND WHETHER OR NOT HOMELESSNESS GOES UP AND DOWN OVER THE CYCLE OF A YEAR RATHER THAN JUST A ONE NIGHT AT A GIVEN TIME, 1 3, 360 FIFTH TIME OF A YEAR? SO I'LL SAY THE ENORMOUS MANPOWER AND WOMAN POWER AND VOLUNTEER POWER TO COORDINATE AND PULL OFF A PIT COUNT JUST DOESN'T MAKE IT PERSONNEL FEASIBLE TO DO ONCE A QUARTER.BUT I ALSO HAVE TO CLARIFY, OUR SYSTEM DOESN'T JUST RELY ON A ONCE A YEAR NUMBER TO UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH OF OUR SYSTEM.
WE LOOK AT THE DATA FROM THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM ALL OF THE TIME.
ARE WE, IS THE, AGAIN, IS IT RARE, BRIEF AND NON-RECURRING FOR INDIVIDUALS? ARE WE SEEING, UM, SHELTER CAPACITY, UH, OR BED USAGE? LIKE WE LOOK AT THOSE GRANULAR DATA NUMBERS ALL OF THE TIME? THE PIT COUNT NUMBER REALLY, AGAIN, IS THE FEDERAL MANDATE.
IT HELPS US UNDERSTAND TRENDS YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT IT IS NOT THE, THE ONLY DATA SET THAT OUR SYSTEM RELIES ON TO UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH OF OUR SYSTEM.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
I'M JUST WONDERING IF, I MEAN, IN Y'ALL'S MINDS, UH, WHEN LOOKING AT TRENDS AND TO REALLY, UH, QUANTIFY, UH, THE STATE OF HOMELESSNESS, AT LEAST FROM A NUMBERS PERSPECTIVE, COULDN'T WE OR WOULDN'T WE GLEAN MORE BY DOING ADDITIONAL COUNTS MORE THAN JUST THE ONE FAN FEDERALLY MANDATED COUNT? LET ME, LEMME SAY ONE MORE.
I UNDERSTAND, I UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF, UH, MANPOWER WOMAN POWER AND VOLUNTEER POWER THAT GOES INTO THAT, BUT WOULD YOU SEE MORE VALUE IN DOING ADDITIONAL COUNTS MORE SO THAN JUST ONCE A YEAR? NO, WE GLEAN MORE INSIGHT INTO THE REGULAR NUMBERS WE SEE IN HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
I'M GONNA USE AN EXAMPLE, A VERY SPECIFIC EXAMPLE OF INCLEMENT WEATHER.
ANYONE THAT SHOWS UP TO AN INCLEMENT WEATHER SHELTER, WE, WE COUNT A BED NIGHT FOR THAT INDIVIDUAL INCLEMENT WEATHER, THEY'VE SHOWED UP TO A SHELTER.
THAT DATA THAT WE'RE GATHERING AT THAT TIME IS SO MUCH MORE HELPFUL IN US UNDERSTANDING AND PLANNING FOR FUTURE INCLEMENT WEATHER.
AND WE WOULDN'T GET THAT LEVEL OF GRANULAR INSIGHT DOING A PIT COUNT ONCE A QUARTER.
IS THAT MAKING, SO LIKE OUR REALLY ROBUST WAY TO DIG INTO WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR SYSTEM IS THROUGH THAT EVERY, EVERY TIME A CLIENT COMES INTO A SHELTER, THEY'RE ENTERED INTO H M I S WHEN THEY'RE UTILIZING SERVICES, IT'S RECORDED IN H M I S, HOW LONG THEY'VE STAYED AT THE SHELTER, IT'S RECORDED IN, IN H M I S.
THAT IS MUCH MORE CRITICAL FOR US AS A SYSTEM.
AND I, I WOULD, I WOULD BEG, UH, TO SAY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO SEE THAT LEVEL OF DATA, WHICH IS DATA WE REPORT OUT TO HUD AND USE REGULARLY.
AND THAT'S THE DATA THAT HUD IS, UM, SCORING US ON AS WELL.
AND NOT JUST, NOT JUST PIT COUNT DATA.
SO COMMISSIONER, UH, JUST, I WILL ALSO SAY, UM, THERE'S A STUDY, IT'S ABOUT, I THINK A YEAR OR SO OLD OF, UH, DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOODS.
I THINK IT'S SAN FRANCISCO, UM, THAT ACTUALLY LOOKED AT THAT QUESTION AND SAID, WELL, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DID UNIQUE COUNTS IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND HELD THEM AGAINST THE PICK COUNT? UM, AND IT WAS EXTREMELY INTERESTING.
BUT REALLY WHAT IT FOUND, AND I CAN TRY TO FIND THAT REPORT, WHAT IT FOUND WAS THAT THE, THE PICK COUNT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WAS ON AVERAGE FAIRLY ON LEVEL.
THERE WAS MAYBE ONE SPIKE, AND THEY LOOKED AT THAT AND LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS THERE? AND IT WAS SOMETHING AROUND LIKE COLD WEATHER AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT THE DATA WAS NOT INCONGRUENT ENOUGH FOR IT TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT WAS EXTREMELY COST PROHIBITIVE TO DO WHAT THE PRIVATE UNIVERSITY DID.
SO I CAN FIND THAT FOR YOU, BUT I THINK IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING LOOK AT THAT AND KNOWING THAT THAT STUDY HAS BEEN DONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LOOKING FOR THAT.
JUST ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION, AND I APPLAUD.
I MEAN, THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING, UH, IN DALLAS, UH, WITH RESPECT TO HOMELESSNESS AND OUR, UH, I THINK, I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO MUCH OF A STRETCH TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A, A MISSION AND A VISION TO BE A, UH, A CITY BY WHICH OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, UH, CAN LOOK TO IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING BEST PRACTICES FOR OUR WORK AND, UH, FOR OUR WORK WITH THE HOMELESS POPULATIONS.
WHO DO WE, UH, AS A, AS A MUNICIPALITY, UH, EITHER COMPARE OURSELVES TO OR LOOK TO CURRENTLY FOR, UH, THE WORK THAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING WITH THE HOMELESS BY WAY OF LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES? UM, WELL I'M, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION AND I LOVE THAT QUESTION 'CAUSE IT GIVES ME THE PLEASURE OF SAYING PEOPLE LOOK TO US.
[00:35:01]
VERY REDUCTIVE, BUT IT'S TRUE, UM, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT NATIONALLY.AND SO, UM, WITH THAT REALLY FUN THING THAT I GET TO SAY, I'M GONNA HAND IT OFF TO JULIE.
UM, WE, IT IS, IT'S REALLY HARD TO DO A COMPARISON FROM CITY TO CITY.
WHAT WE DO TRY TO DO, AND WE DO, WE ENGAGE HOUSTON REGULARLY.
OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM IS ON A CALL WITH A TEAM OUT OF INDIANAPOLIS REGULARLY TO TALK ABOUT HOW ARE YOU ALL MANAGING THIS? HOW ARE YOU MANAGING THESE HOT TEMPS? HOW ARE YOU MANAGING INCREASING HOUSING COSTS? AND IT'S DIFFICULT.
DO YOU HAVE A LANDLORD ENGAGEMENT TEAM? WHAT PROCESSES? SO WE USUALLY DO A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE SHARING ACROSS THE NATION WITH OTHER CITIES.
BUT THE COM THE COMPARISON IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE EACH CITY HAS A DIFFERENT POLITICAL STRUCTURE, HOUSING MARKET, UH, SHELTER POLICIES THAT THEY UTILIZE.
EAST COAST PLACES HAVE A RIGHT TO SHELTER.
EVERYBODY'S SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO COME INTO SHELTER IF THEY SO DESIRE.
SO WE CAN'T ALWAYS COMPARE FOR THEM, BUT WE TRY TO USE MANY OF OUR TEXAS CITIES.
BUT WE ARE TALKING TO THEM REGULARLY ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT WORKING.
WHAT HAVE YOU TRIED OVER THE YEARS? HOUSTON, WE KNOW, UM, THEY'VE BEEN AT THIS A REALLY LONG TIME, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT POLITICAL STRUCTURE WHERE THEY HAVE A STRONGER MAYOR.
TWO MAYORS IN A ROW SAID WE WILL END HOMELESSNESS.
A BUNCH OF CITY DEPARTMENTS COALESCED.
THEY DID MASSIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A, THERE'S, WE, WE DO FOR US AS A SYSTEM, REALLY HAVE GREAT KNOWLEDGE SHARING PARTNERS THAT WE ENGAGE WITH.
BUT THEY ARE, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF SESSIONS AND CAM DECOMMISSIONING USUALLY IS ONE OF THEM.
WE ARE ALSO THE CITY THAT MANY ARE LOOKING TO, UM, AND TOWARDS ABOUT LIKE, HOW ARE YOU DOING THIS WORK? HOW ARE YOU, HOW DID YOU HOUSE OVER 2300 PEOPLE SINCE THE BEGINNING OF DALLAS REAL TIME? WHAT, WHAT WAS, WHAT'S IT LIKE TO WORK WITH YOUR, UM, YOUR, UH, YOUR HOUSING AUTHORITY? THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
I'M GONNA STOP TALKING, BUT I COULD GO ON FURTHER, BUT YES, YES, YES.
THERE'S A CONVERSATION WE HAD.
AND, AND I WILL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, REMEMBER WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING CITY TO CITY, YOU'RE ACTUALLY COMPARING CONTINUUM OF CARE TO CONTINUUM OF CARE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE CITY PEERS THAT I TALK TO, UM, AND YOU KNOW, SAME AS JOLIE, BUT WHEN I'M TALKING TO CITY PEERS, WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT, WELL, HERE ARE POLICIES.
HOW DO THEY PLAY INTO THE LARGER CONTINUUM OF CARE IN YOUR AREA? BECAUSE THE CITY IS A PIECE OF THAT LARGER REGIONAL PUZZLE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO, TO THINK ABOUT HOW COMPLEX IT IS WHEN WE'RE ALL SHARING OUR DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES.
JACOB, UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? VICE CHAIR O PLEASE GO AHEAD.
THE COMMENT IS, THIS HAS BEEN SO GOOD TODAY.
VICE CHAIR, UH, COMMISSIONER COFF, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? PLEASE GO AHEAD.
FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL.
UH, IT'S GOTTA BE JUST SO NICE TO BE RECOGNIZED BY YOUR PEERS.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BEST RECOGNITION YOU COULD GET, I WOULD THINK.
UM, I DO HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION ON THE HOMELESSNESS.
AND YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE IN THE PROCESS TO DECLARE AN OFFICIAL END TO THE VETERAN'S HOMELESSNESS HERE.
WHAT DOES THAT, WHAT WHAT KIND OF PARAMETERS DO WE HAVE TO MEET AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? UH, GREAT GETTING THAT DECORATION.
IS IT 90 DAYS BELOW? UM, AND THAT'S FROM IDENTIFICATION TO A PERSON GETTING ASSESSED AND HOUSED, UH, CHRONIC AND LONG-TERM.
WE CAN ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND WE ARE REALLY, REALLY LOW.
WE ONLY HAVE LIKE THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE THAT ARE CONSIDERED CHRONIC CHRONICALLY UNHOUSED, UM, IN THE VETERAN POPULATION.
AND THEN OUR INFLOW OF WHO'S COMING IN AND OUTFLOW HAS TO BE AT A CERTAIN KIND OF PERCENTAGE AND NUMBER.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE METRICS THAT USAGE.
THE UNITED STATES INTERAGENCY COUNCIL OF HOMELESSNESS, THEY REQUIRE TO LOOK IN, DIG INTO, AND THEY WANNA SEE US HOLD THE LINE OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE, WE'RE SUBMITTING THE DATA TO THEM.
THEY'RE POURING OVER THE DATA.
UH, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY, THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
YOU KNOW, I DO ALWAYS USE THE CAVEAT, THE DATA IS ONE THING, BUT WE ARE LITERALLY HOUSING THOUSANDS OF HUMANS.
AND SO EVEN WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE IN, IN DIFFERENT CITIES OR IN THAT ARE IN OUR FOOTPRINT OR, UM, INTERESTED PARTIES, I ALWAYS WANNA CENTER THE EXPERIENCE OF THE HUMANS THAT WE ARE ABLE TO HOUSE BECAUSE OF THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING.
AND THAT ALONE WILL MAKE ME CRY EVERY DAY.
UH, BUT I NEVER WANNA MISS LIKE THE,
[00:40:01]
THE POINT OF VIEW THAT WE ARE HOUSING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WE DIDN'T HOUSE BEFORE.THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THE FINANCIAL, UM, RESOURCES AT OUR FINGERTIP TO HOUSE.
WE'RE HOUSING THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, WE WEREN'T WORKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT'VE BEEN WORKING IN OUR SILOS AND INDEPENDENTLY AND WE'RE MORE, WE'RE WORKING MORE COLLABORATIVELY TOGETHER TO, TO REALLY HOUSE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, WHICH IS AMAZING.
UH, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER GLADDEN HOFF, UH, ANY OTHER, OH, COMMISSIONER BROWN, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO JOLIE THAT I'M, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN DOING, BUT THIS FELT SUPER INFORMATIVE.
I FELT LIKE ENERGY IS JUST, IT'S JUST BEEN DIFFERENT LISTENING TO YOU ALL GO BACK AND FORTH AND GIVING US THE UPDATES.
AND I FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY TURNED, LIKE, HONED IN ON WHATEVER KINK NEEDED TO BE WORKED OUT.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE IT'S COMPLETELY DIFFERENT FROM THE PAST TIMES WITH US GETTING REAL TIME UPDATES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A TREMENDOUS SHOUT OUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION, BECAUSE IT FEELS DIFFERENT THIS TIME AND I'M SEEING THE DIFFERENCE AND I'M HEARING THE DIFFERENCE.
AND IT'S GREAT TO GO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO MY OWN DISTRICT SEVEN AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE REALLY DO HAVE PEOPLE ON THE FRONT LINES WHO ARE WORKING NOT ONLY LOCALLY, BUT NATIONALLY WITH OTHER, OTHER, UH, ORGANIZATIONS TO REALLY TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN COMBAT THIS HOMELESSNESS AND PROVIDE A REAL SOLUTION.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.
I WILL ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN JOEY TALKED ABOUT HOW AMAZING IT IS, I THINK IT'S, IT'S AMAZING FOR US, IT'S AMAZING FOR ME, BUT IT'S MORE AMAZING BECAUSE MY STAFF HAVE HOPE THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO BE DIFFERENT.
AND EVEN TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, IT WAS JUST A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION.
WE KEEP DOING THE SAME THING AND IT'S NEVER GONNA CHANGE.
AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE KEPT SAYING, WELL, HOLD ON.
JUST WAIT, WE'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING, IT'S GONNA COME.
AND THEY ALL, THEY ALL HELD ON AND THEY'RE STILL HERE AND THEY'RE GETTING TO SEE, THEY'RE GETTING TO SEE THE CHANGES THAT THEY, THEY WROUGHT 'CAUSE THEY BELIEVED IN IT.
AND I THINK THAT SYSTEM-WIDE HOPE AND SEEING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE UNSHELTERED WILL TALK TO US BECAUSE THEY HAVE HOPE IS SOMETHING THAT WE WAITED A VERY LONG TIME FOR.
I, I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THE FUN UPDATE THAT BY THE TIME WE SUBMITTED THESE SLIDES, WE HAVE ACTUALLY HOUSED 225 PEOPLE FROM ENCAMPMENT DECOMMISSIONING, WHICH IS A FUN PROBLEM TO HAVE, WHICH YOU HOUSE PEOPLE QUICK ENOUGH, WHICH MEANS YOUR SLIDE DECKS ARE ALWAYS A COUPLE NUMBERS OFF BECAUSE BY THE TIME WE'RE PRESENTING, WE'VE HOUSED TWO OR THREE MORE PEOPLE.
UM, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER BROWN.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WISHING TO SPEAK ON THE ITEM? DO YOU HAVE ANYBODY IN VIRTUALLY? NO.
UM, SO FIRST LET ME SAY, UM, I THINK THAT THIS PRESENTATION IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF, UM, THE IMPACT MADE BY THE PROPER INVESTMENT IN AND CLEAR DIRECTION FOR RESOLUTION OF, OF SOCIETAL PROBLEMS. UM, AND SO TO THAT END, I I WILL SAY THAT, UM, I GUESS IT'S THE ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THE PANDEMIC THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SEE AN INFUSION OF FUNDS THAT ALLOWED US TO PURSUE PATHWAYS THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE NOT ACCESSIBLE.
THE OTHER THING IS THE DIRECTION AND THE FOCUS THAT HAS ADJUSTED AND CHANGED.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND DIRECTOR CROSLEY, YOU KNOW, AS WELL, I'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE APPROACH TO UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS FOR YEARS.
AND I COULDN'T
AND I THINK THAT'S EVIDENT IN THE FACT THAT WE'VE SEEN THIS REDUCTION IN THE FIRST TIME SINCE I'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE NUMBERS, WHICH IS A LITTLE LONGER THAN FIVE YEARS.
UH, SO I THINK THAT THAT CANNOT BE UNDERSTATED, THAT WE HAVE SEEN THE SUCCESS IN THE FACE OF WHAT HAS TRANSPIRED BEFORE.
AND ONE THING WE KNOW ABOUT UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS, IT WAS THE FASTEST INCREASING SEGMENT OVER OVER A DECADE, UH, WHERE WE SAW UNSHELTERED HOMELESSNESS
[00:45:01]
GOING DOWN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.WE SAW IT INCREASED HUNDREDS OF PERCENT HERE IN DALLAS.
SO I HAVE TO SAY THAT TO PROPERLY POSITION YOUR WORK AND THE IMPACT THAT IT'S HAD IN TERMS OF THE MASSIVE DI YOU KNOW, MASSIVELY IMPROPER DIRECTION WE WERE GOING IN AND HOW QUICKLY WE WERE GOING IN THAT DIRECTION, UH, TO, YOU KNOW, SO WHAT IT TAKES TO TO, TO PUMP THE BRAKES ON THAT AND CHANGE DIRECTION AND GOING ANOTHER DIRECTION.
AND WE'RE SEEING THE RESULTS OF THAT.
SO I JUST, I I, I, I WANNA, I WANNA CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, STATE THE MAGNITUDE HERE, UH, BECAUSE I, I THINK THAT IT MUST BE UNDERSTOOD.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THE FRAMEWORK OF A NEW PATHWAY THAT WE SHOULD SEE FROM ONE COAST TO ANOTHER, UM, BECAUSE HUMANITY IS THAT IMPORTANT.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, FOR ME, WITH MY 2 CENTS, YOU KNOW, DOING THE RIGHT THING IS ALWAYS A SMART INVESTMENT.
AND YOU SEE THAT CLEARLY IN THE RETURNS OF HUMAN LIFE THAT IS ABLE TO GROW AND CONTRIBUTE.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I'M RIGHT WITH YOU IN TERMS OF THAT HUMAN STORY, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE IT'S AT.
UH, SO THAT BEING SAID, UM, I, I DO WANT TO JUST FIRST, WELL, LET ME GO ON.
TOIL YOU, IT'S A LOT OF COMMITMENT GOING ON TODAY,
SO IT'S A, IT'S REALLY GREAT TO BE ABLE TO, TO, TO HAVE THIS KIND OF A CONVERSATION, BUT FIRSTLY, LET, WELL, SECONDLY, LET ME COMMEND YOU ON, YOU KNOW, GETTING TO CLOSE TO THAT FINISH LINE ON VETERANS HOMELESSNESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, JUST A, A AMAZING MILESTONE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED AT FOCUS, UH, SO THAT, THAT IS A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UH, ANOTHER GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT.
UH, NOW I GUESS THE, UM, QUICKLY, I WANTED TO JUST, UM, COMMENT ALSO ON THE FLEX FUND USAGE AND THAT IMPORTANCE THERE, THAT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS ALLOWING YOU TO BE, TO DEAL WITH THE ASYMMETRICAL REALITIES.
UH, I KNOW THAT THAT'S KEY IN THE PROCESS.
SO IN TERMS OF THE, THE USAGE OF THAT, I GUESS I'M GONNA TALK A LOT ABOUT, ABOUT, YOU KNOW, USING THE R T R R T R AS THE FRAMEWORK OR, UM, YOU KNOW, A FOUNDATION FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, A CHANGING APPROACH ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, AND, AND USING THE ASSESSMENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THE, THE D R R T R AFFORDED IN THAT PROCESS.
AND SO THE USE OF FLEX, THE FLEX FUND, I THINK, UM, IS A CRITICAL, YOU KNOW, UH, FUNCTION, UH, THAT WE NEED TO START TALKING MORE ABOUT AS WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, FUNDING POOLS THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE TO REALLY RESOLVE THE PROBLEM.
SO WE JUST AS YOUR POINT, WE DON'T HAVE A $200 BARRIER FOR SOMEBODY TO MOVE ON WITH THEIR LIFE.
UM, SO, BUT THAT, I THINK THAT WAS A VERY IMPORTANT POINT THAT WE WANT TO WANNA CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, FOCUS ON TO SEE THAT FLEX FUND GROW AND DEVELOP AND BE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FLEX FUND THAT YOU CAN USE ACROSS THE BOARD AND, AND THOSE ENDEAVORS.
SO, UM, TO CLARIFY, IT'S ALSO AN EXPANSION OF DALLAS REALTIME.
THE, THERE WAS A PRIVATE FUND RAISING EFFORT THAT WAS DONE RIGHT, FOR DALLAS REALTIME AND FLEX FUND, BUT AS WE EXPAND THE OPPORTUNITY, IT GIVES MORE EFFORTS AND INITIATIVES, THE CASE MANAGERS THAT ARE ASSISTING THOSE CLIENTS, THE POOL OF FUNDS TO BE ABLE TO, TO TAP INTO SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST RELEGATED TO ONE INITIATIVE HAPPENING IN OUR SYSTEM, GETS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF FLEX FUND AVAILABLE TO THEM IN THEIR CLIENTS, BUT REALLY ACROSS OUR SYSTEM EXACTLY.
SO THANK YOU FOR LIFTING THAT UP.
DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY.
UM, OKAY, SO ONE, ONE QUESTION THAT I DID HAVE, UH, AND I, IT JUST MAY BE A CLARIFICATION, UH, OF HOW YOU'RE APPROACHING THIS, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, AND THIS IS I GUESS SLIDE SEVEN, TARGETED INVESTMENT IN PERMANENT HOUSING AND DIVERSION.
UH, BUT YOU HAVE THE CATEGORIES OF YOUTH, FAMILIES AND VETERANS, UH, AND IS THAT THESE CATEGORIES ARE SPECIFIC TO YOUR FOCUS ON PERMANENT HOUSING AND DIVERSION EFFORTS, OR WHAT, WHAT IS THIS CATEGORIZATION? NOT JUST PERMANENT HOUSING AND THAT DIVERSION EFFORTS, BUT REALLY THESE ARE THE THREE SUBPOPULATIONS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE GOALS THAT WE HAVE, WHICH ARE ALIGNED WITH FEDERAL GOALS, THOSE ARE THE SUBPOPULATIONS THAT WE'RE REALLY, UM, UTILIZING THE BREADTH OF ALL THAT OUR RESOURCES HAVE AVAILABLE.
SO IT'S, IT IS A, WE'RE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON
[00:50:01]
PERMANENT HOUSING, NUMBER ONE.SO YES, WE'RE ALWAYS FOCUSED ON PERMANENT HOUSING, BUT IT IS ALSO HOW ARE WE UTILIZING THE FUNDING THAT'S COME INTO OUR SYSTEM, LOOKING AT OUR PIT COUNT TRENDS YEAR OVER YEAR, LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN THE HOMELESS MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM TO DO THE WORK IN THOSE BUCKETS FOR THOSE SUBPOPULATIONS.
SO WHAT, WHAT I WILL ADVOCATE FOR, YOU MAY HAVE A GOOD, YOU KNOW, PERSPECTIVE ON THIS, A REASON WHY, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOW THE CATEGORY OF SINGLE MEN IS NOT THERE.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THAT'S THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE.
BUT WE NEVER SEE THEM AS A CATEGORICAL FOCUS.
AND SO THAT'S ONE THING THAT, THAT I'M GONNA CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE.
CAN WE, CAN WE DO THAT? CAN WE FOCUS ON THE LARGEST SUBPOPULATION THAT IS THERE AND THE SPECIFIC DRIVERS THAT, THAT ARE, THAT ARE CAUSING THIS TO BE THE LARGEST SUBGROUP AND, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC FOCUS ON THAT RE THAT RESOLUTION FOR THAT SUBPOPULATION? YES, WE DO FOCUS ON THAT.
UH, THE, THE PULLOUT OF THOSE SUBPOPULATIONS ARE ALSO, 'CAUSE THERE'S DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS FOR THOSE SUBPOPULATIONS THAT NOT, NOT JUST FOR US, US, RIGHT? I KNOW.
THERE'S DIFFERENT FUNDING STREAMS, THERE'S DIFFERENT REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE MET.
BUT, BUT FOR US, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT AND LOOK AT RACIAL EQUITY IS A PART OF OUR WORK.
AND WE HAVE PEOPLE A PART OF OUR RACIAL EQUITY WORK THAT AREN'T JUST INNER SYSTEM, RIGHT? MM-HMM.
SO WE HAVE PEOPLE FROM THE FAITH-BASED SYSTEM, JERRY HAWKINS FROM DALLAS, T R H T IS A PART OF THAT RACIAL EQUITY WORK GROUP.
AND WE DO HAVE A, A LASER FOCUS.
WHEN I ATTEND LIKE THE VETERANS WORK GROUP, I'M THE ONE LIFTING UP, HEY, WE'RE SEEING A DISCREPANCY IN SINGLE BLACK MEN IN THE VETERAN'S POPULATION.
AND THEN IN THAT VETERAN'S WORK GROUP, WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW ARE WE ENSURING WE'RE DOING TARGETED OUTREACH TO SINGLE BLACK MEN? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR THE VETERAN AFFAIRS OFFICES AND STAFF TO HAVE A, UH, REALLY FOCUSED EFFORT AND INTENTION AROUND SINGLE BLACK MEN? RIGHT? SO THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPEN WITHIN THE SUBPOPULATIONS AND NOT LIKE OUTSIDE OF THEM IN A DIFFERENT ONE.
BUT I DO HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND I JOTTED IT DOWN AS A NOTE, IF WE CONTINUE TO DIG INTO THOSE DRIVERS, WHICH MANY OF US KNOW VERY PLAINLY WHAT THOSE DRIVERS ARE, THAT WE SEE A DISPROPORTIONATE NUMBER OF BLACK MEN IN OUR SYSTEM.
BUT YES, WE'LL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT.
RIGHT? AND, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU FACILITATED IN THAT EFFORT.
I JUST WANNA SAY I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT FACILITATION.
WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS I CAN FIND FUNDING FOR EVERY OTHER SUBGROUP.
I CAN FIND FUNDING FOR YOUTH, FOR FAMILIES, UH, ABUSED, UH, UH, UH, WIVES OR MOTHERS.
I CAN'T FIND ANY FUNDING, ANY FOCUS, NOTHING WHEN IT COMES TO SINGLE BLACK MEN.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID I WANT TO, I KNOW, I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHERE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING AND WHAT I WANNA SEE YOU GUYS FACILITATE IT SO THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO FOCUS ON THAT SUBPOPULATION AND THE, AND THE SPECIFIC NATURE OF IT.
AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S AN IMPORTANT CONVERSATION THAT I HOPE, UH, THE ALL IN INITIATIVE WILL ALLOW TO GO FEDERAL AND THAT WE CAN, THAT WE CAN ENGAGE, UH, PROPER SOLUTION MIXES FOR.
UH, SO I'LL JUST SAY THAT, UM, THE, UM, LEMME CHECK TIME HERE.
NOW, THE, UM, THE PERMANENT SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, THE 480 NEW SLOTS, DOES THAT INCLUDE THE CITY, THE, THE NEW CITY FACILITIES, OR THAT'S, THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THAT? THE 480 SLOTS YOU SEE ARE VOUCHERS PROMISED TO US.
THAT'S THE VOUCHERS COMMITTED TO THE SYSTEM.
WE ARE HOPING THEY CAN BE, UM, BE APPLIED TO SOME OF THE NEW FACILITIES COMING UP, EITHER THE CITY OR THE COUNTY.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS AT THE TABLE TALKING ABOUT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO APPLY THOSE 480 VOUCHERS.
THE, THE, SO I'LL DEFINITELY BE ADVOCATING FOR THE, UH, THE BUDGETARY, UM, A FOCUS OR ALLOCATION FOR THE, UH, 16 ADDITIONAL STAFF.
I THINK THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY.
I, I, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAY, I, I WILL, I MEAN, WE NEED TO SEE THIS EXPANDED.
THAT'S A SIMPLE FACTOR OF THE MATTER.
WE NEED TO SEE THIS BECOME THE WAY FORWARD.
UH, AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT FACILITATING.
AND SO WITH THAT, UH, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST MAKE THIS MORE INCLUSIVE BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT, UM, YOU'VE IDENTIFIED, UH, A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE, UH, FROM WHATEVER SUBPOPULATION ONCE YOU'RE GETTING 'EM INTO HOUSING THROUGH REAL TIME THAT THEY'RE STAYING THERE.
UM, AND SO, WELL, LET ME ASK, WHAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME ARE YOU ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT OVER AT THIS POINT? LIKE, HOW LONG IS THE LONGEST TIMEFRAME, SHORT AS TIMEFRAME, YOU KNOW, THAT PEOPLE ARE STAYING IN HOUSING, AND MAYBE WHAT IF, IF YOU, TO SUM UP IN, YOU KNOW, IN A SENTENCE, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK THE, UH, UH,
[00:55:01]
THE SUCCESS, YOU KNOW, THE SUCCESS OF THAT IS? WHAT'S CAUSING THAT SUCCESS? WE LOOK AT SIX MONTHS AND WE LOOK AT 12 MONTHS.UH, WE ALSO, WHAT DO I THINK IS THE SUCCESS TO 85% OF INDIVIDUALS BEING HOUSED IS A GREAT QUESTION.
I ATTRIBUTE IT TO THE AMAZING CASE MANAGERS AND PROGRAM MANAGERS THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR SYSTEM, REALLY PROVIDING A CUSTOMIZED APPROACH AND SOLUTION TO EACH CLIENT THAT THEY SERVE.
WHETHER THAT'S CONNECTING THEM TO SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, CONNECTING THEM WITH PEERS AND PEER SPECIALISTS.
BUT REALLY, I ATTRIBUTE THAT SUCCESS TO JUST THAT.
AND I THINK THAT THAT NUMBER OF 85% REALLY TELLS US AS A COMMUNITY THAT PEOPLE WANT HOUSING, RIGHT? AND IF WE PROVIDE THEM HOUSING, THEY WILL REMAIN HOUSED.
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE IS AROUND 80 PO, 80% FOR PEOPLE TO REMAIN HOUSED.
SO WE'RE GOING ABOVE THE KIND OF NATIONAL AVERAGE IF PEOPLE REMAINING HOUSED, AGAIN, WE ARE AMAZING CITY THAT'S DOING SOME TREMENDOUS THINGS, BUT I THINK, UM, THOSE ARE KIND OF THE KEYS TO SUCCESS FOR HOW WE WERE GETTING TO 85%.