Councilman Jerry Allen talks DHA
According to the DHA, included in those plans are complexes located in the Lake Highlands area.
Based on these recent developments, LH Today caught up with Councilman Jerry Allen to pose several questions on the matter.
LHT: When did you first learn about the Dallas Housing Authority's plans to designate two permanent supportive housing developments in the LH district?
Allen: On Tuesday afternoon, June 15th, my office received a call from a Dallas Morning News reporter asking if I was aware of the DHA plans.
LHT: Any surprise based on what you were hearing?
Allen: No, the Dallas Housing Authority doesn't have a history of reaching out to council members or to the community. You would need to ask them why, but I suspect the reason is they feel they simply don’t have to. They might also feel that all they're going to hear is "we don’t want it in our neighborhood," so they've become numb.
LHT: Doesn't seem to be the best policy, however. Agreed?
Councilman Allen: No, it's not the best policy. If they have a positive story to tell, then they should shout it from the rooftops. By not telling their story on the front end, all they create is fear and mistrust.
LHT: Fear and mistrust? Then why did you tell the DMN you would embrace supportive housing?
Allen: The question to me was how did I think the citizens would react? That's somewhat of a loaded question. You remember a little over three years ago we had a similar situation with the Armory and the papers had a field day painting us as "not in my back yard" kind of people. To this day, that stamp irritates me as we all know compassion is the cornerstone of our community. I wanted to make sure the paper painted our community in the best possible light.
LHT: Fair to say maybe the community doesn't want this permanent supportive housing?
Allen: Given the fact they were hit without any notice, I can certainly understand residents feeling that way.
LHT: So what do you plan to do now?
Councilman Allen: Since being broadsided myself on Tuesday, I've been working to get up to speed. Because of my involvement in the fight to return the Armory to the Parks Department I understand permanent supportive housing, I understand the DHA, I understand HUD, and I understand the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance.
My challenge is to make sure I get the facts and to adequately convey the responsibility of the apartment complexes, the responsibility of the case workers, and the responsibility of DHA. In short, until you get the facts concerning a long list of questions then it becomes premature to comment. Our citizens need to know all the facts. I've said all along that this scenario must make sense, and in that case there must be measurable accountability.
Take for instance the role of the caseworkers. They are a prime example of what permanent supportive housing is all about. Case workers and mentors are with these folks 40 hours a week to monitor, shepherd, and help and them back to a productive life.
LHT: Is the DHA matter time sensitive?
Allen: Yes and no. Contracts have not been signed, and from what I understand we're still a month or so away from final decisions. With that being said, we want to be at the table to have our voices heard.
LHT: And just how should we go about that?
Allen: Education, Education, Education. As a community, we must be prepared to ask specific accountability questions when we have our Town Hall Meeting.
Broad general questions or observations will not cut it. I would ask that those who are concerned and really want to understand the facts we're dealing with to do their research and educate themselves as much as possible on a number of topics.
Try reading up on permanent supportive housing, the Dallas Housing Authority, HUD and their role in permanent supportive housing, the Dallas One-Stop Optimized Reentry System, the Second Chance Act, and the DOORS Program. You can Google any one of them.
LHT: When are you planning on hosting the Town Hall Meeting?
Allen: Probably not for a couple of weeks. I still need time to make sure I've turned over every rock, while also affording our community ample time to do their research.
LHT: Besides research, any last comments?
Allen: Let's all take a deep breath. We've come too far to go backwards.
Last year our district had the greatest percent reduction in crime compared to any other district. Every school in our district is rated Exemplary or Recognized. We are attracting developers to our area that believe in socially responsible apartments.
We're also attracting organizations to our area that are working with the youth in after-school programs and during the summer to make sure they have organized activities and enrichment opportunities.
Additionally, our community prosecutor has done an excellent job in cleaning up and reducing code violations. Do we live in a perfect world? No, but bashing ourselves in public will serve no good.
