Dallas looks to increase housing for the homeless

DALLAS - As the United States Supreme Court weighs whether cities can ban the homeless from sleeping outside, today Dallas City Council members heard plans to try to increase housing for the homeless.

The case that went before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday is considered the most significant case on homelessness in decades.

"When the homeless are under attack, what do we do? Stand up, fight back!" said advocates for the homeless gathered outside the Supreme Court on Monday.

Dallas, like many cities, has struggled to deal with homeless encampments. Officials clean up one site only to have another site pop up down the street.

In Grants Pass, Oregon, the city began issuing $295 fines for sleeping outside as tents sprang up in the city's public parks.

The U.S. Supreme Court intervened to decide if the policy amounts to cruel and unusual punishment.

"Where do we put them if every city, every village, every town lacks compassion and passes a law identical to this? Where are they supposed to sleep? Are they supposed to kill themselves, not sleeping?" asked Justice Sonia Sotomayor.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh questioned if ticketing people for camping would help the problem if there are no shelter beds, but he also raised concerns about federal courts "micromanaging" policy.

The issues illustrate the problem of managing encampments in many states.

In Dallas on Tuesday, the focus turned to creating more housing through a program called "All INside."

"Our ultimate goal is to ensure what we do here, we're creating a developer-friendly environment, we eliminate all barrers to affordable housing," said an official with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

City Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn encouraged the federal partnership to focus on more single-family housing for the homeless.

"My district is 65% multifamily. I don't think it is healthy to have it that high of a level. It is also the number one location of crime in our city, is multifamily housing," Mendelsohn said.

Councilman Chad West was concerned about a lack of specifics, which is significant when considering building and property costs.

"When can we get that from you, that says we need 20,000 more units of X. We need 10,000 more single family homes in the city at this price point," said West. "When can we expect that print out?"

"It is very difficult to obtain that kind of data because our market constantly changes," replied Rachel Wilson with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Dallas has also put an effort to help the homeless on this May's ballot.

Proposition I would provide $19 million to help shelter and re-home people experiencing homelessness, including funding for renovations at the homeless shelter The Bridge. The renovations would help increase the overnight capacity of the facility. 

Homelessness is at a record-high in the United States at 650,000 people.

It is the most since the country began using the Point-in-Time survey in 2007.

The Supreme Court is expected to decide the camping case by the end of June.