Homeless Cottages Filling Up In Dallas

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DALLAS (CBS11) - Homeless cottages are filling up near downtown Dallas and the residents are appreciating the comforts of home and the responsibilities.

"It feels good!" said Janie Salazar, sweeping the floor of her tiny cottage. "It feels good to have chores."

For more than a decade, Salazar had no floor to sweep.

She was one of Dallas' chronically homeless.

"When we were living up under that bridge, that was a non-stop chore," said Salazar.

All that changed when she moved into the Cottages of Hickory Crossing, a community in the shadow of downtown comprised of 498 square feet cottages, with all of the comforts of home.

"It's a blessing.  It really is," said Salazar. "Changed everything about me. I used to think nobody cared about homeless people… Looked at us like nothing. That's not the thing anymore. I know people really do care and that means a lot."

The $6 million effort welcomed its first tenants in September.

The goal of the project is to identify and provide housing for 50 of the city's chronic, and therefore costliest, homeless citizens by providing them with housing first.

"So they're costing he county in trips to Parkland Hospital, they're costing the county when they're in and out of jail, and in access to mental health health services," said John Siburt, President of City Square.

The non-profit oversees the effort.

"It costs about 40-k per year, per person to have these people on the street," said Siburt. "It costs about 15-k to house them here. So we targeted the most costly to the county, so we could show not only an improvement in their quality of life; but, to show that this is a more cost effective way to deal with homelessness."

Siburt calls the community "permanent supportive housing" because support staff and resources are on site.

"Once you have a sense of safety and security… you can move out of survival mode and really think about thriving," he said.

Tenants who have resources are expected to contribute one-third of their income toward housing costs. But, provided they follow the rules, they will have homes for life.

"No, place like home," said Salazar. "It's a Merry Christmas every day now. Every day!"

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