Despite our best efforts and intentions, homelessness in Texas is increasing, and the cost to those directly impacted and the broader community is extremely high. It is time that we embrace the best model for serving those experiencing homelessness. A bill in the Legislature now could help.
Since 2015, the number of people living on our streets has steadily increased in Dallas and Collin counties. After reaching a high in 2019, these numbers have leveled off, but we still have nearly 25% more homeless in our area than we did 10 years ago. Even with the attention of numerous elected officials and millions of public and private dollars spent, the issue of homelessness in our community has demonstrably gotten worse, not better.
And our area is not the exception. Statewide data shows a 13% increase in homeless populations across Texas since 2015, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness.
Policymakers must grapple with the best way to provide services to this growing population while also promoting the interests of the general public, who want to feel safe on their streets.
One of the amazing things about the American system is that local and state governments enjoy immense freedom in devising an approach to solve any given problem. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once called states “laboratories of democracy,” where experimentation, trial-and-error and modeling best (and worst) practices happen in concert nationwide. As the homelessness crisis in Texas has escalated, different cities and counties have deployed various programs, partnerships and models to cope with it. We have had our own “laboratories of democracy” within Texas on this critical issue, and one path forward truly stands above the rest.
San Antonio’s Haven for Hope is an approach that has proven to be highly efficient and maximizes positive outcomes for homeless individuals and the general public. One of the key features of San Antonio’s approach is that there are not multiple facilities providing services to the homeless scattered across the city. Instead, there is one large, centralized location. This distinction is enormous.
First, it allows for every necessary service to be provided under one roof and in one location. Whether it’s medical, dental or vision care, on-site detox or substance abuse recovery, job skills training and GED classes, or even child care and children’s programming, Haven for Hope offers it to those in need.
This model was launched in 2006 as a public-private partnership in the heart of San Antonio and successfully collaborates with nearly 200 partners in the broader community. Haven for Hope’s approach is person-centered, trauma-informed and recovery-oriented, and has shown to be the best way forward.
By centralizing services to one location, Haven for Hope brings the local homeless population to one place, making providing services much easier and more efficient.
The numbers speak for themselves. It is estimated that Haven for Hope has saved taxpayers nearly $100 million in reduced jail time, emergency room visits and courtroom proceedings. San Antonio’s downtown homeless numbers have dropped a staggering 77% since Haven for Hope opened in 2006, and according to a December 2020 report, homeless numbers for San Antonio and Bexar County were down 11% overall since 2011. In total, 43,967 individuals experiencing homelessness have been served, and served well, by this innovative, centralized model.
So, how do we export this successful model? While many large cities and urban areas are committed to their approaches, Haven for Hope is clearly the most effective.
Sen. Tan Parker, a Republican from Flower Mound serving District 12, has authored a bill (Senate Bill 2529) that would require any city with a population larger than 200,000 to institute a centralized model of services based on Haven for Hope.
While homelessness is an issue everywhere, the bill would impact Texas’s largest cities where our largest homeless populations reside, including Dallas.
Homelessness is about much more than just access to housing. It’s about providing a constellation of essential services.
We may never “solve” homelessness, but if Parker’s bill passes, the proven successes of Haven for Hope will do so much to improve the lives of all Texans.
Amy Robbins is CEO and co-founder of Alexo Athletica, and chief development officer for the Metroplex Civic & Business Association. She wrote this column for The Dallas Morning News.
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