Dallas County rolls out plan to fight homelessness

DALLAS - Dallas County officials introduced a plan on Wednesday to quickly find a place to live for homeless people.

The county is partnering with cities and agencies that help the homeless. It will cost about $70 million, with much of that coming from federal vouchers and grants. 

There are about 4,000 homeless people in the county. The goal is to find a home for half in the next two years.

"Data similar to our rapid rehousing programs in other cities, including some work that we've done here, has shown that once people get stabilized, they tend to stay out of homelessness. So we're very excited about the potential of this program," said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

Another 2,000 people will have their rent paid for one year while they are connected to social services.