A Dallas task force on homelessness is recommending increased funding and the loosening of zoning and construction regulations to reduce the number of unsheltered individuals in the city.
The recommendations come as Dallas is grappling with an unsheltered homelessness population that has jumped from 242 to over 1,300 – an increase of 437% – since 2014, according to two studies referenced in the group’s report, which was released Friday.
The task force, labeled H.O.P.E. for its work with homelessness, organizations, policies, and encampments, urged the need for affordable housing to be built across the city’s 14 districts.
