Homelessness is a complex issue with individuals, Veterans, youth, and families facing various challenges that cause them to become unhoused. As explained by Metrocrest Services, homelessness typically occurs when a sudden, major crisis (like an injury/accident, job loss, or mental health breakdown) hits someone already living on the edge of poverty, and they don't have a support system that are willing or able to help or have the lost the ability to connect with that support system.
This page is intended to provide some information on homelessness and the collaborative and coordinated systems in Dallas County.
Housing Forward (Dallas and Collin Counties)
Housing Forward was founded in 2002 to serve as a collective voice for homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties with the expertise, partnerships, and resources to lead a system-wide, data-driven strategy with a mission to make homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring.
Housing Forward acts as the lead agency for the Continuum of Care and manages the centralized Coordinated Access System (CAS) so that individuals experiencing homelessness are identified, assessed for their needs, referred to resources, and connected to housing. The CAS allows services to be streamlined and coordinated from providers across Dallas and Collin Counties to help the system work more efficiently for those who need it. The graphic below outlines the key components:
Coordinated Access System (CAS) - Housing Forward (housingforwardntx.org)
To inform its system-wide strategies and approach, Housing Forward works together with the All Neighbors Coalition, a coalition of over 140 organizations working in collaboration. The Town of Addison has recently joined this coalition to provide access, insight, and input into the strategies and systems being used.
Metrocrest Services
Metrocrest Services is a non-profit community partner that assists with identifying, connecting, and resolving housing instability or homelessness for individuals locally in Addison, as well as Carrollton, Coppell, and Farmers Branch.
Depending on the circumstances, Metrocrest Services can provide help for families, seniors, and individuals in paying their rent/mortgage and water or energy bills. People in need of assistance meet one-on-one with a Case Manager Coach who works with them to tackle their immediate needs and help them on a path toward a more stable financial future.
For those individuals who may be experiencing homelessness and living unsheltered, Metrocrest Services has a Street Outreach team, composed of staff and volunteers, that targets to meet individuals where they are at to develop relationships, assess needs, and connect with resources.
The Town of Addison Police Department and Town staff work with Metrocrest Services to identify and connect the Street Outreach team to individuals experiencing homelessness and living unsheltered.
Town of Addison
The Town of Addison helps to support Metrocrest Services through an annual grant process, with a grant of $139,653 provided to the Metrocrest Services organization in FY2024.
The Town will continue to work with its neighboring cities, Metrocrest Services, Housing Forward, and other partners in a collaborative response. While a compassionate response and connection to services is important, there is also an importance to preserve health, safety, and quality of life.
If you have questions or would like to report a concern such as a homeless encampment or an area for Street Outreach assistance, please contact Sarah Kuechler, Chief of Staff, at skuechler@addisontx.gov or report through the Addison FixIT app as an Other Service Issue request. If the location is outside of Addison's jurisdiction, Town staff will work to address it with the appropriate jurisdiction.
How Can I Help?
Community members can help by volunteering, donating, or advocating. To learn more, please visit Metrocrest Services or Housing Forward. While we understand that you may want to help by directly giving to individuals living unsheltered or panhandling on roadways, we encourage you rather to give responsibly to local organizations that can connect and provide for the comprehensive needs of individuals facing homelessness, for both their immediate needs and their pathway to housing.
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