Recent efforts in Downtown Dallas aim to address the growing homeless crisis, but a local shelter reports an alarming uptick in individuals seeking assistance, suggesting that the situation may be deteriorating in other areas of the city.
Dr. David Woody, president of The Bridge, a downtown shelter, emphasized that annual increases in engagement numbers reflect the continuing challenge of homelessness in the region.
‘We’ve only seen increases every year in the number of folks that we’re engaging,’ Woody shared with The Dallas Express.
According to nonprofit Housing Forward’s ‘point-in-time counts’ conducted across Dallas and Collin counties, the total number of homeless individuals has decreased from 4,570 in 2021 to 3,718 in 2024.
However, Woody cautioned that these counts represent just a snapshot of the homeless population as they only include individuals in public areas at a specific time each year.
‘It’s virtually impossible in this community to identify all the folks who are unsheltered, who are unhoused,’ he noted.
He pointed out that The Bridge assisted 6,350 unique individuals in fiscal year 2023, and the number surged to 7,234 in 2024.
By May, he projected that The Bridge could provide support to approximately 8,000 individuals within the year.
Many experiencing homelessness often find refuge in public spaces like sidewalks, convenience stores, and parks throughout the city.
Areas such as Cadiz Street and S. St. Paul Street have become known as hotspots for homeless encampments.
In response to these challenges, The Bridge collaborates with other local shelters, including the Austin Street Center, the Salvation Army, and the Union Gospel Mission, to help transition individuals off the streets.
Woody described The Bridge’s approach as offering ‘low-barrier shelter services,’ aimed at formulating effective exit strategies from homelessness.
The shelter strives to serve as a comprehensive resource for individuals, providing essential services needed to assist them in moving away from life on the streets.
‘We want to offer every service necessary that would move a person from sleeping on the concrete into a position to have a key to a housing solution that they can sustain,’ he stated.
The Bridge provides showers, restrooms, clothing, and meals, serving nearly 400 individuals for breakfast and lunch, with about 325 for dinner.
Additional amenities at the shelter include a library, barber shop, hair salon, laundromat, and even a kennel for individuals with dogs.
Moreover, three care management teams work diligently to develop tailored exit strategies for the homeless individuals they assist.
The Bridge partners with organizations like Parkland Hospital for medical care, Metrocare Services for mental health support, and Legal Aid of North Texas to help address legal challenges that may hinder individuals from finding employment.
Woody highlighted a critical difference in The Bridge’s methodology compared to other shelters, noting that many provide temporary overnight accommodations but push clients back onto the street during the day.
‘What makes The Bridge different than other shelters here in Dallas is that we’re not just offering folks accommodations during the evening,’ he explained.
In addition to overnight stays, The Bridge provides a day shelter experience aimed at fostering pathways out of homelessness.
Currently, The Bridge is operating at full capacity for its overnight shelter, prompting the team to explore innovative solutions to expand sleeping arrangements on-site.
Woody also mentioned ongoing advocacy for increased availability of night shelters across Dallas and Collin counties.
In an effort to improve conditions in Downtown Dallas, ‘Safe In The City,’ an initiative spearheaded by Downtown Dallas, Inc. along with the City of Dallas and Dallas Citizens Council, launched in May.
This initiative emphasizes law enforcement and rehousing strategies to effectively tackle homelessness and crime in the Central Business District (CBD).
As part of this collaboration, officials facilitate the transfer of homeless individuals to The Bridge, marking a significant step toward removing them from the streets.
Woody pointed out, ‘They’re tracking the numbers, and everyone is talking about a significant decrease in the number of unsheltered folks who are sleeping in parks, in nooks and crannies, in front of businesses.’
According to reports from Ashford Inc.’s Senior Managing Director Mark Nunneley, the reduction in homelessness in the CBD has been corroborated by their bi-monthly reports.
The most recent data illustrated a drop in the number of homeless individuals in the Central Business District from 209 in late March to just 84 at the last count, down significantly from previous highs last year.
Nunneley praised the Safe In The City initiative: ‘These are good initiatives.
Unfortunately, the initiatives are privately limited to the CBD.’
He highlighted that while reporting mechanisms like DDI’s See Say app have shown success in addressing situations involving homelessness, mere relocation of individuals is not a sufficient solution.
‘It’s not good enough to tell them to get up and leave; you’ve got to take them somewhere.
They need to be taken to The Bridge,’ he stressed.
Efforts to address homelessness have also transformed locations such as the downtown public library, which previously served as a refuge for individuals experiencing homelessness.
The city has now taken a more proactive stance, deploying officers to dissuade individuals from congregating there.
Nunneley acknowledged the purpose of the Housing Forward’s ‘Street to Home’ program, stating that it has shown some positive results.
Woody expressed a sense of urgency as homelessness appears to be on the rise in other city council districts, with calls to the City of Dallas’ 311 line regarding homelessness spiking by 45 percent in three years.
He articulated hope that lessons learned from the successful interventions in the Central Business District will be applied to other districts facing similar challenges.
After extending an invitation to the community, Woody remarked, ‘We would love for folks to come and help.
There’s no better way to get a better understanding of homelessness.’
image source from：dallasexpress
