A Dallas City Council vote scheduled Wednesday to purchase a vacant hospital for homeless housing sparked an angry response from neighbors upset about a complete lack of community involvement on the issue.
“You should be honest and upfront with everybody about what is going on,” neighbor Judy Brooks said.
The site is on South Hampton Road at Perryton Drive in Oak Cliff.
On opposite corners are a residential neighborhood where Brooks lives, the regional Kiest Park and a city library that’s connected to an elementary school.
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Brooks said social media opposition to the addition of a homeless facility at that location has raced through the neighborhood.
“People don’t want their kids walking to school, at a recognized school, with a homeless encampment next door,” she said.
Neighbors fear homeless people who hang around downtown will loiter at their park and library instead if they are invited to the new destination.
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“And it's like, they're going to do it behind our back, and try to scam us out of quality of life. It's going to affect our property values. It's so wrong.” Neighbor Judy Brooks said.
Back up material posted online for Wednesday’s Dallas City Council meeting shows that council members were secretly told about the plan in a closed-door executive session on January 5.
Neighbors were told nothing and only found out for themselves when the agenda was published, listed the purchase as a no discussion consent item.
“We're easy to find. They've got contact information. They've got a map. They know how to contact us,” activist Darryl Baker said.
The records show the city plan is to pay $6.5 million for the site with money from a 2017 bond referendum approved by voters.
Other past city plans to use the bond money dedicated to homeless services have been killed by neighbor opposition.
The Oak Cliff neighbors say they are sympathetic to the needs of homeless people but not to this approach by City of Dallas.
“We don't trust the city. And based on the way it’s treated us by trying to sneak something like this in, we feel more than justified in opposing it,” Baker said. “The City of Dallas has a very poor track record in producing outcomes that have worked for neighborhoods.”
A city spokesperson Tuesday said staff members familiar with the proposal would only consider an NBC 5 request for an interview after the council meeting Wednesday.
The back up material online said the site would be used for a mix of affordable and supportive housing.
Brooks said that is similar to another proposal for the site that neighbors opposed several years ago.
The city document went on to say 140 medically equipped units in the former hospital building and 25,000 square feet of office space could be used as permanent supportive housing, homeless services and medical facilities.
It said additional future renovation money may be necessary.
Councilman Casey Thomas who's district includes the hospital property did not return a message seeking comment Tuesday. Council Member Carolyn King Arnold who's district includes Kiest Park and the homes across Hampton Road did return a message Tuesday night. Arnold said she has not taken a position on the issue and did not know what would happen when the item comes up for a vote Wednesday.
