As Homelessness Reports Rise Across Dallas, New Efforts Downtown Could Buck The Trend
Reports of homelessness to the City of Dallas' 311 line rose 45 percent in three years, according to Fox 4. But Mark Nunneley, chief accounting officer for Ashford Hospitality Trust, told The Dallas Express recent could help downtown counter the trend.
Nunneley compiles frequent homeless counts and reports for downtown Dallas and shared the latest report for the Central Business District with The Dallas Express.
The latest report showed that homelessness has fallen from recent highs earlier this year. Homelessness peaked at 266 in late February and 209 in late March but fell to 138 in April—though it increased slightly to 158 in May. Most cases occurred in south-central downtown, near St. Paul St. and I-30.
Downtown Dallas Inc. – which oversees the Dallas Downtown Improvement District – joined the City of Dallas and Dallas Citizens Council last month to launch Safe In The City, as The Dallas Express reported at the time.
Safe In The City operates on a 'six-point plan for sustained public safety': higher policing, higher security coordination, more 'rehousing,' an expanded community court, 'de-magnetiz[ing]' homeless hotspots, and expanding 'reentry.'
DDI also launched its app several years ago, letting users report 'non-emergency issues' to the 'Downtown Security, Homeless Outreach, and Clean Team.' The app lets residents submit reports and pictures of incidents downtown and text tips to 972-440-1995.
According to Nunneley, the See Say app has recently brought promising results. He has used it multiple times to report homeless encampments downtown.
'Every time I've done that, within three or four minutes, the DDI security people are showing up and addressing it,' Nunneley said. 'Sometimes it's like – literally – they're blocks away, and they're there within a minute.'
Nunneley said he had used See Say 'all over the downtown area,' including behind the convention center, near Dallas City Hall, and along Cadiz St. and Corsicana St.
See Say responders are limited to downtown property – so they cannot resolve issues on city or private property, according to Nunneley. For example, if an encampment was on public library property, they could not remove it.
When Nunneley calls 311, the response is 'not immediate,' he said – though 'they are working on trying to improve that.'
Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn expressed frustration with Dallas' broader citywide homeless response. As The Dallas Express reported, Mendelsohn is an advocate for homeless reform.
'The residents are so fed up, and they are fed up of hearing homelessness is decreasing when they see it every single day,' Mendelsohn said recently, according to Fox 4. 'They report it, it gets closed and it does not get addressed. These are people who truly need help and it's not happening.'
The Dallas Morning News reported that homelessness was down 5% across Dallas and Collin counties since 2024, citing the point-in-time (PIT) count. But, as The Dallas Express reported, PIT counts in places like California sometimes fail to capture reality.
Homelessness in cities surrounding Dallas has risen significantly, as The Dallas Express previously reported. The estimated annual cost of homelessness to Dallas taxpayers is $193 million.
The Dallas Express got in touch with DDI, but the group did not comment in time for publication.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
2 hours ago
- Forbes
Why Your Leadership Pipeline Is Broken - And How To Fix It
We are in a leadership drought. Only 20% of CHROs have leaders ready to fill critical leadership roles within their company, according the 2025 HR Insights Report by consulting firm DDI. Despite investing in training programs, mentorships, and performance reviews, organizations still struggle to fill critical leadership roles. High-potential employees are burnt out, top talent leave, and succession plans are nonexistent. Here's why organizations have broken leadership pipelines, and how to fix it. Leadership Training And Development Programs Are Lacking A lack of training and support has created a gap in developing new leaders. Only 48% of managers strongly agree that they currently have the skills needed to be exceptional at their job, according to a 2023 study by Gallup. Managing a team and leading others is complex, yet, companies often mistake strong individual performance for strong leadership. The transition from expert individual contributor to team leader requires learning a whole new set of skills. Corporations believing that 'hard skills' and 'soft skills' can be intertwined with enough tenure or drive will find leaders ill-equipped and their direct reports unsupported. Companies Do Not Innately Support Leadership Qualities Strong leaders are independent thinkers: creative, resourceful, and self-driven. However, many companies still treat their employees with distrust and inflexibility. In the post COVID-19 workplace era, numerous businesses have rolled back flexible work policies and scaled down DEI initiatives, leaving many employees feeling unsupported and undervalued. During the pandemic, workers experienced a new level of autonomy that for many, was taken away. Top talent actively seek environments where they can thrive and explore. Being bold, challenging status quo, and taking self-initiative are all valuable qualities of a leader. Organizations need to realize that rigid workplaces are stifling leadership development. Increase Alignment Between Human Capital And Business Units Organizations may have strong human capital and talent development programs established, but they are not followed by the business unit executives. The inverse can be true - each business units can have ad-hoc leader development but lack the formal application to track and establish success long-term. To close the gap, build a unified framework grounded in the skills future leaders need: adaptability, strategic thinking, and empathy. Leadership development is not just a talent initiative. Senior executives must take ownership by mentoring, sponsoring, and holding others accountable for cultivating leadership skills within their departments. When leadership growth is embedded within the business, it becomes a sustainable driver of performance and culture. Foster A Coaching Culture Leadership is built through experience, feedback, and training. Current leaders must prioritize developing future leaders and be held accountable for how their rising leaders progress. Developing the skills to be a strong leader is a daily endeavor - individuals should not wait until the receiving the manager title to develop them. Coaching culture is created through peer-to-peer support, open and psychologically safe communication, and regular team retrospectives. These allow reflection, trust, and growth. To accelerate development - give rising leaders stretch assignments, ownership of strategic projects, or opportunities to rotate through different departments. The greatest growth happens outside of comfort zones, when emerging leaders are challenged, uncertain, and learning in real time. All is not lost if the pipeline for new leadership seems empty within the company. The next generation of leaders is already within the organization. Support and champion their growth for a more resilient and successful business.
Newsweek
23-07-2025
- Newsweek
Greg Abbott Sets Out Vision for Texas THC Regulation
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Texas Governor Greg Abbott has pushed for strict enforcement to ensure that THC products are not sold to people under the age of 21. Abbott set out a vision for the future of Texas THC regulations after he vetoed a bill that would have fully banned consumable products containing the compound of marijuana that which makes it psychoactive, THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, in the state. "We need to have a highly regulated hemp industry," Abbott told Fox 4 on Tuesday. Newsweek has contacted Governor Abbott via email for comment. Main: THC products seen at the Dope Daughters dispensary, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Inset: Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, Texas. Main: THC products seen at the Dope Daughters dispensary, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in Austin, Texas. Inset: Texas Governor Greg Abbott speaks at Hill Country Youth Event Center in Kerrville, Texas. Main: Eric Gay, Inset: Jacquelyn Martin/AP Photo Why It Matters Abbott's approach to THC has put him at loggerheads with fellow Republicans who have supported a complete ban. Some law enforcement leaders have said the only way to fully regulate THC use is to ban it completely and that they will not be able to fully stop smoke shops from illegally selling THC above the state-mandated dose, according to Fox 4. Abbott says regulation is possible when police are given the right resources. What To Know Abbott's proposal for the future of THC is to keep it regulated at its 0.3 percent legal limit. He said he will not be legalizing marijuana in the state, and will be pushing for stricter enforcement to ensure that hemp products are not sold to people under the age of 21, and that they do not contain any synthetic compounds. He told Fox 4 that the industry can be regulated like alcohol, including making it illegal to sell products near areas frequented by children. He added he still wanted hemp farmers and people selling the products to be allowed. In June, Abbott vetoed Senate Bill 3, which would have fully banned THC in Texas. The bill, introduced by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, received overwhelming Republican support in the state legislature. Critics of THC in the state say that it poses a danger to children who may find it and consume it, and have pointed to THC as a public health risk. Lieutenant Governor Patrick has said that THC consumption leads to addiction and brain alteration, as reported in The Texas Tribune. The governor vetoed it, saying that the "legal defects in the bill are undeniable." He mentioned that a similar ban in Arkansas was stalled by lawsuits for years. The bill would have banned hemp-derived cannabinoids in Texas, the market of which reached $2.78 billion industry in the state in 2023, according to the Baker Institute at Rice University. On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs passed Senate Bill 5 with a 10-0 vote. The bill would eliminate the majority of hemp products, according to The Texas Tribune. Hemp-derived cannabinoids were made legal in Texas in 2019 following the passage of a 2018 federal law which legalized hemp. They must contain a THC limit of 0.3 percent. Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick shows products containing THC while calling for a ban on the consumables on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the state Capitol in Austin, Texas. Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick shows products containing THC while calling for a ban on the consumables on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, at the state Capitol in Austin, Texas. Jim Vertuno/AP Photo What People Are Saying Governor Abbott told Fox 4: "We need to have a highly regulated hemp industry to ensure that farmers are able to grow it and that hemp products that do not have an intoxicating level of THC in it can be sold in the marketplace." Steve Dye, a police chief, told The Texas Tribune: "It would take decades, in our opinion, and millions of millions of dollars to hire and train agents to understand chemistry, potency threshold, lab testing and labeling compliance, and they will never be able to keep pace with the retailers, wholesalers and shippers." What Happens Next Senate Bill 5 has now advanced to the full chamber. But, according to The Texas Tribune, lawmakers in the House are more open about regulating THC products rather than banning them outright.
Fast Company
23-07-2025
- Fast Company
How to perform well if you're disengaged
Let's face it, work can be a slog. And while you might be struggling to engage personally, there's also evidence that you're in good company. All over the world we're more disengaged than we've been in years. But even as you're not inspired, motivated, or energized, you know you still have to show up and perform well. So how can you be effective when engagement eludes you? There are some unexpected, but powerful strategies that can help you through. WE ARE DRAGGING Evidence from Gallup shows engagement is at a 10-year low, globally. In fact, only 31% of employees say they are engaged. These are the people who feel enthusiastic about their work. Only 42% say they know what's expected of them at work. And 17% of people are actively disengaged, meaning they feel negative and resentful about their work. It's reasonable that we're not jumping out of bed every morning to show up in the office or onscreen. We're overwhelmed and fearful, and this can make it difficult to throw ourselves fully into our work. In a survey of 32,000 people in 28 countries Edelman found that 88%–61% of people were afraid of everything from inflation and economic concerns to climate change, nuclear war, or information war. In addition, there's a lot of uncertainty today. According to DDI, which studied 11,000 leaders, fully 42% of CEOs were concerned about uncertainty. Moreover, in a GlobeScan survey of almost 30,000 people across 31 countries, 78% said they felt that things were changing so fast, they couldn't cope and struggled with anxiety as a result. It's tough to stay engaged when we're feeling overloaded, disoriented, or disheartened by so many stressors, but there are ways we can overcome the challenges and bring our best to our work. THINK LONG TERM One of the best ways to perform well, despite feeling disengaged, is to keep the long term in mind. Today's environment might not be great, but doing your best will pay off for a better future. When you perform well, others will notice, and you'll be more likely to be selected for the exciting new project or be on the radar when promotion opportunities emerge. In addition, tough times can be great for learning. If you have a subpar manager, you can observe, reflect, and cement your opinions about how not to lead (or how you'll lead better someday). Or if your work doesn't fully consume your capacity, you may have extra time to take a class or join an association. You can look at challenging times as opportunities to build your knowledge and resilience for the next phase. Focus on how the work and learning you do today will be an investment in your future. LINK WORK TO YOUR IDENTITY Another lesser-known way to enhance your performance is to link your activities to your sense of yourself. It's healthy to get a sense of identity from your work. In addition to your family, friends, volunteer activities, and personal pursuits, work is one of the ways you express your talents, make a contribution, and reinforce what makes you unique and important. By focusing on who you are, you can find more meaning in your daily tasks. You don't have to do the project just because your boss said you must, you're completing it because you're a brilliant performer. You don't show up for the meeting just because you're on the team, but because you're an innovative thinker and they need your ideas. Thinking of who you are and linking it to why you're taking action, can help you feel motivated by what you value, the value you deliver, and who you are. CULTIVATE A SENSE OF TEAMWORK Another way to increase your motivation to perform well is to remind yourself of how your work impacts others. It's one thing to complete a task and check it off your list, but knowing how it will feed others' work can be make a difference to your morale. Even if your responsibilities are largely individual, all work includes some aspects of interdependence. Your coworker is waiting for output from you so she can take the next step. Your colleague needs your input to work on his project. Or there's a customer down the line who will benefit from your portion of the process. We all have an instinct to matter, and knowing we have obligations to others can be motivational when we consider our impacts. MANAGE YOUR WORKFLOW You can also ensure you perform well in the face of less-than-ideal engagement by using tactics that make the work seem more manageable. For example, you can break down a larger responsibility into smaller tasks. Instead of simply telling yourself you have to write the report, consider sub tasks that you'll need to accomplish. Give thought to how you'll need to research the key topic, summarize the primary ideas, write each chapter, and create recommendations. By separating work into components, you'll make it feel less daunting and more doable. You can also be sure that you're focusing on one thing at a time. We lose a lot of time with pings, dings, and interruptions, because multitasking creates the need to reset repeatedly as we shift from one thing to another. But if you can, turn off notifications or change your status to 'do not disturb,' for a period of time. Doing so will help you focus and get things done more effectively. Another surefire way to enhance performance is to plan your tasks based on your own rhythms. Many people are better at analytical or detailed work at the start of their day, when they're fresh. And then they are stronger with creative or divergent work in the afternoons when they've been at it for a while. Consider how you work and, as much as possible, plan your tasks based on your energy levels and your assessment of when you can do your best work. You can also boost your performance by taking breaks. Getting away from their desks or taking short brain breaks after finishing key tasks improved productivity for people in studies published in both the Journal of Applied Behavioral Analysis and in the Journal of Applied Psychology. And breaks can also increase your energy and reduce fatigue, based on another study that was published in Psychological Reports. REDUCE THE PRESSURE Overall, we may put pressure on ourselves to be always-on and supereffective all the time, but we're wise to reduce the burden we impose on ourselves. No one is perfect, and it's unrealistic to think that we'll be constantly achieving. This expectation can cause us to feel trapped by unrealistic standards. But if you can remind yourself that no one is flawless, and that you'll have good days and bad days, it can help your mood. In addition, you can give yourself permission to do just enough during a period where your work is less engaging. There's an old saying that if you're trudging through a swamp, it's best to just keep going. Challenges with engagement are like this, too. There may be muck and mosquitos right now, but you can get through to the other side. Keep at it, validate your efforts, and team up with others to support each other. These will help you survive and even thrive.
