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Dallas commission reviews $5.5 million ARPA package to continue Streets to Home initiative
Summary
The Citizen Homelessness Commission heard a briefing on a City Council item that would pass roughly $5.5 million in ARPA funds to the Continuum of Care to continue the Streets to Home program, funding rental assistance and supportive services with an initial focus on decommissioning downtown encampments.
The Citizen Homelessness Commission on Thursday reviewed a City of Dallas contract forecast that would send about $5,500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding to continue the Streets to Home initiative, with the City Council scheduled to consider the item next week.
The briefing, delivered by Christine Crosley, Director of the Office of Homeless Solutions, described the funding as a three-part package. Crosley said the city issued an early tranche in February — $2,500,000 drawn from ARPA redevelopment funds that required fewer restrictions — and two additional federal-ARPA contracts are ready to come forward, described in the briefing as roughly $1,000,000 and $1,900,000. Those sums bring the total for the package to about $5,500,000 that will be passed through to the Continuum of Care and subcontracted to local providers to house people experiencing unsheltered homelessness.
Crosley said the later tranches are "pure federal" ARPA dollars that required more contract work: "Because those are pure federal contracts, they needed a lot more work. ... So show good faith. We know that there's an emergency. Let's get the 2.5 out that we can in February, and then we'll come later in the spring with the funding that is pure ARPA." She added the funds are intended to support rental assistance and the supportive services that accompany housing.
Supportive services, Crosley told commissioners, are the case management paired with rental assistance and related tertiary services such as HMIS data entry, job or health referrals and other wraparound help. "Supportive services are the case management that comes with the housing," she said.
Commissioners asked about federal funding stability after recent national coverage about potential federal policy changes. Crosley said the city's award is obligated and, "we don't have any indication that they're not going to honor what they've already committed to." She and commissioners noted the office is tracking federal developments and the City will reassess beyond the current award period.
The briefing said the initial operational priority for this package is to "fully decommission downtown" encampments and then shift outreach and housing placement work elsewhere in the city based on need and available resources. Commissioners pressed for data to measure results: one asked when the results of the January point-in-time count would be available and Crosley said the forthcoming State of Homelessness presentation — scheduled for May 20 — will present a richer dataset alongside the point-in-time numbers.
No formal vote on the contract package occurred at the commission meeting; several commissioners voiced support for sending the item to City Council. The item appears on the City Council agenda next week for consideration.
Ending: The commission asked staff to continue reporting program and outcome data, including HMIS metrics and point-in-time results, as the City prepares the contracts for Council consideration.
