5 things about Plano’s homeless — and what’s being done to help

The lack of shelter for the homeless in Plano – and Collin Counties – has increased the visibility of homeless men and women on the streets, according to a study by the city.

Plano is home to a youth emergency shelter, City House, as well as the Hope’s Door New Beginning Center and the Texas Muslim Women’s Foundation, both for domestic violence survivors. Homeless families who have not experienced domestic violence do not have emergency shelter in Collin County.

McKinney owns The Samaritan Inn, which offers a full range of services and living spaces to help the homeless get back on their feet, even though it is not considered “shelters.”

“This lack of accessible housing for the general homeless population adds to the visibility of single homeless men and women on the streets,” the city documents read.

Plano is also one of the richest cities in North Texas, with an average household income of $ 95,602, according to the US Census Bureau. The number of people living in poverty is 6.8 percent.

How many people are homeless in Plano and Collin Counties?

The city of Plano recorded a total of 216 homeless people during its annual “Point in Time” count for 2021, but due to the pandemic, severe winter weather and other factors, that number may not be accurate. The point-in-time survey is required by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development as part of the process of applying for federal funding to combat homelessness.

According to the city, there were 127 homeless people in the city at the time of the survey. Unprotected refers to the homeless who are in areas such as parks, bus stops, sidewalks, or abandoned buildings.

In 2021, Collin County recorded a total of 456 homeless people during the annual “scoring”.

The pandemic prevented large groups of volunteers from gathering to conduct the 2021 survey. In north Texas, that difficulty was compounded by severe winter weather, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance said in May when the county’s numbers were released.

Although the HUD allowed opt-out waivers, the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance decided to continue counting, according to their website.

The data collected showed a total of 4,570 homeless people in Dallas and Collin counties. Most of these people were in Dallas County.

Because different data collection methods were used in 2021, the numbers may not be comparable from year to year.

Here are Plano’s homeless population figures as of the 2019-2020 timing surveys.

year	Unprotected	Protected
2021	127	89
2020	92	161
2019	103	145

At the time of the 2020 survey, 50 percent of the unsecured population were gainfully employed. Of those in employment, 9 percent worked full-time. In 2019, 54 percent of the unsecured population were employed, and 33 percent of them worked full-time, according to a study by the city.

What is being done?

The city has added the positions of Homeless Services Coordinator and Housing and Community Services Coordinator to the Neighborhood Services Department. Staff help carry out street outreach activities to give homeless people access to programs managed by the city and outside agencies.

Plano is initially trying to help people affected by homelessness through preventive services, the city says.

In addition to handling calls from people requesting services, the city’s neighborhood services staff conduct street missions three times a week and one Saturday a month to interact with and help out homeless residents.

Staff also spend Wednesday afternoons at Harrington Library to help homeless or homeless residents who are also library users.

Sometimes people who need services come from other areas. In these cases, city officials will contact an agency in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who can provide assistance. You will also be given a DART pass to travel to the place where help is available.

Plano is also considering using federal funds to support more homeless services.

What’s next?

During a city council meeting on September 27, staff members sought instructions for establishing a community-wide education program for the homeless for residents and businesses. The program would involve a variety of city departments, with an emphasis on the explanation:

• The role of the city in combating homelessness
• Who to turn to if you have a homeless problem that is not part of an emergency
• When law enforcement action can be taken
• What should or shouldn’t you do when you encounter a homeless person

The city plans to set up a public dashboard to track the number of homeless people on a monthly basis. The dashboard will contain an app that residents can use to report if and where they see homeless people. The reports can be made anonymously.

Are the services for the homeless increasing?

Options discussed by city staff include converting a hotel into affordable housing units, a program to individually address the needs of the homeless, and more funding for the tenant-based rental support program and case management. Other options include converting a hotel into an emergency center that allows private areas for individuals and homeless families.

The city is also considering using federal COVID-19 grants for some of the spending.

During the September 28 session, Plano City Council urged staff to provide more information on ways that could best address homelessness in Plano. Further information is expected to be provided to the Council at a later stage, although no timeframe has been given.

How can I find out more?

A list of homeless and other neighborhood services is available on Plano’s website.

Plano’s 18-page homelessness report is available online.

The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance report is also available online.

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