Dallas nonprofit CitySquare to close in December

DALLAS - A North Texas leader in fighting homelessness and poverty has announced that it is out of money for its mission.

Dallas-based CitySquare's CEO Annam Manthiram says the nonprofit will dissolve in December and has until the end of the year to find other organizations to take over its work.

"The organization really was founded on making sure we lift our neighbors out of poverty and homelessness and I think that's what we're doing whether the 501(c)(3) stays or not," she said.

Manthiram came onboard as CEO at the end of August.

"I knew that the organization had been struggling a little financially, but I wasn't aware of how much and I don't believe our board knew as well. I thought I had at least 2 or 3 more years to really right the ship, but didn't really have that much runway," she said.

Manthiram moved her family with school-aged children to Richardson from New Mexico.

"I had actually been running an organization there that was focused on people experiencing homelessness," she said. "I really was touched by how mission-centered and neighbor-driven this organization is."

CitySquare has seen other recent turnover at the top.

CEO Larry James began stepping away in 2018 and officially retired in 2021.

"A lot of our donors had been really connected to Larry and that's pretty common in a founder-led organization," said Manthiram.

John Siburt took the reins in January 2021, after serving as CitySquare president for five years.

He left in December 2022.

In 2017, Siburt spoke with us about one of CitySquare's initiatives, the Cottages at Hickory Crossing. The tiny houses for the homeless, just south of Deep Ellum, were the brainchild of Larry James.

READ MORE: Dallas sees huge success with tiny homes for homeless

Those are not being managed by Catholic Charities.

"Every year, about 1,000 neighbors access our housing services where we directly house people, we provide case management and wrap around," said Manthiram. 

In addition to providing food and housing assistance, CitySquare also helps connect people with health insurance and runs an AmeriCorps program.

"Every year, over 27,000 members access our services," Manthiram said. "We have until December 1. We will do this thoughtfully and intentionally. All of our services on site are still open. People can come and get food, they can come and get connected to resources."

The North Texas Food Bank released a statement to FOX 4 saying CitySquare's absence will be deeply felt.

"We remain steadfast in our commitment to support our neighbors facing hunger, and we will work tirelessly to help fill the gaps throughout the transition, ensuring that no one goes without access to nutritious food," said Anne Readhimer, the NTFB's Vice President of Community Impact.

"We are really hopeful about what the campus could look like, with a lot of different partners, which was the original vision, I believe, of the founder Larry James," said Manthiram.

Mathiram says they still need volunteers and donations to ensure programs can transition without any interruptions to service.