STRATEGIC PRIORITY: Housing & Homelessness Solutions
AGENDA DATE: December 14, 2022
COUNCIL DISTRICT(S): 7
DEPARTMENT: Office of Homeless Solutions
EXECUTIVE: Kimberly Bizor Tolbert
______________________________________________________________________
SUBJECT
title
Authorize a two-year, with three, three-year renewal options to the short-term use agreement with Fair Park First for the Office of Homeless Solutions to utilize a larger space at Fair Park to provide temporary Inclement Weather Sheltering Services and related operational expenses during each year in the amount of $234,039.92 for the period January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2024 - Total nNot to exceed $468,079.84 $2,574,439.12 - Financing: General Funds (subject to annual appropriations)
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BACKGROUND
The City of Dallas periodically experiences extreme winter weather, necessitating temporary inclement weather shelter (TIWS) for those experiencing homelessness. The unpredictability and fluctuation of the weather makes it difficult to pre-determine the exact amount of time and shelter space that will be needed. However, Office of Homeless Solutions data sourced from the past two years of inclement weather sheltering shows the following:
1. Average of 20 days of TIWS.
2. Seven-to-ten of those days requiring congregate shelter for up to 1,200 people, during the most severe winter weather.
3. The time period of highest risk for TIWS is between the months of December 1 and April 1.
To protect those experiencing homelessness, the Office of Homeless Solutions created a Temporary Inclement Weather Services plan in partnership with area providers to provide a City-led framework and support for pre-existing TIWS structures. This was presented to the Citizen Homelessness Commission, Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee, and the Dallas Area Partnership in Spring 2021.
The trigger for this plan remains based on Chapter 45 of the Dallas City code, activating when the temperature goes below 36 degrees in wet weather, with 50 percent precipitation or greater predicted or 32 degrees (F) in dry weather, between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the next day.
The updated Temporary Inclement Weather Plan consists of three phases, allowing expansion of sheltering services to be opened as needed when locations have reached capacity. The locations for each phase consist of:
1. Phase One: 2929 Hickory Street as the primary TIWS site, Oak Lawn United Methodist Church, and Warren United Methodist Church.
2. Phase Two: Phase One sites and the Central Library.
3. Phase Three: Fair Park
a. Once capacity has been reached at the locations listed in Phases One and Two, Phase Three will be activated and clients at those locations will be transported to Fair Park. Phase One and Two locations will then be closed.
b. The Fair Park location has been identified as the phase three location due to its capacity and the necessary scale of serving up to 1,200 people at one time.
This agreement will provide a location during inclement weather to serve up to 1,200 people at one time.
PRIOR ACTION/REVIEW (COUNCIL, BOARDS, COMMISSIONS)
The Citizen Homelessness Commission was briefed regarding this matter on December 8, 2022.
The Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee will be briefed regarding this matter on December 13, 2022.
FISCAL INFORMATION
|
Fund |
FY 2023 |
FY 2024 |
Future Years |
|
General Funds |
$234,039.92 |
$234,039.92 |
$ 2,106,359.28 |
Inclement weather shelter services are budget at $15,602.66 per day up to 15 days.