No federal funds and federal help to shelter the homeless during the winter, city of Dallas asks the community for help
Dallas, TX – City of Dallas is asking the community for help, especially churches and businesses, to help them to shelter the homeless people around the city during the winter months since the federal government will no longer provide help for homeless.
As we already reported multiple times, the city of Dallas received federal funds last year to shelter the homeless in hotels when there were freezing temperatures outside, but this help is no longer available and meanwhile hotels became much more expensive comparted to last year.
The city of Dallas is hoping that its new inclement weather policy will also help open the doors to the homeless all around the city rather than the concentrated services that are downtown.
While Our Calling is serving up a warm Thanksgiving meal for the homeless on Wednesday. it is a warm place to sleep at night that will be needed by hundreds of people who have no shelter as winter approaches.
“Our homeless population is growing faster than it ever has,” said Our Calling Pastor Wayne Walker. “We meet over 80 people a week who for the first time are experiencing homelessness. How do we create space to preserve life?”
In 2018, Our Calling received a fine by the city for leaving its doors open to the homeless on freezing nights.
“For us, the issue is not about a civil liberty to keep our doors open,” Walker said. “It is about human dignity. How do we protect life?”
After Our Calling hired an attorney to fight the city’s rules ordering it to stop helping people, the city reversed course and acknowledged in a letter that the church has a right to do just that.
“The example you site is constitutionally protected, and we are grateful for their care for people experiencing homelessness,” said Catherine Cuellar with the city of Dallas.
The city defines inclement weather as 36 degrees in wet weather or 32 degrees in dry weather for at least three hours.
Interested applicants can download an application from dallascitynews.net For more information on how to become a temporary emergency shelter, contact [email protected].