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This summer is on track to be among Texas’ most extreme seasons on record, with scorching temperatures throughout the day and little relief at night. The unrelenting heat has raised concerns among community organizations and housing advocates about unhoused individuals and families across North Texas.
Extreme heat can be dangerous for our unhoused neighbors, because they are often unable to escape the elements. In the North Texas summer, people experiencing homelessness are especially vulnerable to heat-related illness, which can damage vital organs and even result in death.
At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we understand that preventing homelessness and encouraging housing stability are foundational to our mission of improving access to education, income and health—because all North Texans need a safe, stable home environment in order to thrive in these three interconnected areas. We work in partnership with community organizations and our supporters to prevent homelessness, encourage the development of affordable housing and lift up our neighbors experiencing homelessness.
This summer, the dangerous weather conditions make it the perfect time to check in on the state of homelessness and housing in North Texas, with a look at key insights from two recent reports that dive into these interconnected issues. Read on to learn more about homelessness and housing accessibility in North Texas, how United Way improves housing stability and ways you can support our work in these areas.
Each year, nonprofit organizations, community organizers and volunteers come together for the Point-in-Time Homeless Count, an effort that is led by Housing Forward. Over the course of a single evening, participants take to the streets of Dallas and Collin counties to manually count every individual experiencing homelessness at that moment in time.
By regularly counting the unhoused neighbors in our community, Housing Forward (formerly Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance) collects vital data on a population that can be difficult to quantify. These insights allow us to understand the extent of homelessness in North Texas, factors that are impacting current homelessness rates and the effectiveness of programs that seek to end homelessness.
In 2023, the Point-in-Time Homeless Count, which was held Jan. 26, revealed several positive trends, including:
These numbers indicate that our community is making progress by implementing permanent solutions that prevent homelessness—such as housing stability programs and support of more affordable housing—while also serving people who are already experiencing homelessness.
Unfortunately, this year’s count also revealed some ongoing challenges:
These numbers indicate that there is still plenty of work to be done to address the inequities that many North Texans—including individuals, families and people of color—face.
A lack of affordable housing is one of the biggest contributors to our region’s homelessness situation. And unfortunately, our supply of affordable housing is only getting more limited, according to a new report.
“The State of Dallas Housing: 5-Year Comparison Report”—which was prepared by buildingcommunityWORKSHOP and sponsored by United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, The Dallas Foundation and The Meadows Foundation—focuses on the ways in which Dallas’ housing landscape has changed over the last five years.
The report found that multiple factors are making homeownership significantly challenging for North Texans with incomes at or near the median (around $58,000 a year). For example:
Meanwhile, as the cost of buying a home puts ownership out of reach for many North Texans, rental prices reached an all-time high in 2021. Although average rents have started to stabilize over the last year or so, the average one-bedroom rental is still more than $1,350 and the average two-bedroom is more than $2,000—far beyond what many local families can afford.
When people don’t have access to affordable housing, they often struggle to balance rent, bills and other financial responsibilities. For many North Texans, it becomes impossible to keep up with a high rent or mortgage payment, which can lead to homelessness. That’s why at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, our work includes improving housing stability and preventing evictions so we can keep people from entering the cycle of homelessness.
Homelessness is a complex problem that requires multifaceted solutions and broad community involvement.
“Homelessness does not exist because of one, single factor—rather, it’s a series of forces that manifest as homelessness,” said Ashley Brundage, executive director of housing stability and senior vice president of community impact at United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
In the 2022 State of Homelessness Address, Brundage explained that the systems in place to help prevent and end homelessness are just as complex. But they can essentially be broken down into four parts:
Many of our community partners, such as Housing Forward, excel at services such as rehousing and care for people who are already experiencing homelessness. At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, we work further “upstream,” with a focus on preventing homelessness by improving housing stability for North Texas families and advocating for affordable housing.
One successful prevention initiative is the Dallas Rental Assistance Collaborative (DRAC), which provides rental and utility assistance so people can stay in their homes. In the early days of COVID-19, as federal relief dollars began flowing to our region to prevent an eviction crisis, the City of Dallas chose us as a trusted partner to help lead DRAC and unite the community around the issue of housing stability.
Working with more than a dozen partner organizations, we served more than 7,000 households throughout the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in March 2020, DRAC provided more than $30 million in rental and utility assistance, helping to prevent an eviction crisis in our communities.
In 2021, we also helped launch the Targeted Eviction Prevention Program (TEPP), which provides comprehensive case management to families on the verge of eviction to help stabilize their lives.
Meanwhile, we advocate continually for policy changes that will increase the supply of affordable housing in North Texas. During the most recent Texas legislative session, our team provided a unique perspective to the housing policy landscape based on our experience providing rental assistance. Through testimony and one-on-one meetings, we provided insight into the efficacy, administration and benefits of certain policies to help give legislators a well-rounded understanding of the obstacles facing tenants, and benefits and disadvantages of varying solutions.
If you’re interested in working with us to improve housing stability in our community, here are three ways to get involved right now:
Together, we can ensure all North Texans have the opportunity and access to achieve housing stability. Click below to make an investment in the future of our community today.
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