DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) — It seems prices are up on just about everything and as we’re learning, it’s putting some people in a really bad situation.
The Dallas-based social services nonprofit Family Gateway says their data shows in the first six months of this year, they’ve had two times as many calls for help, two times as many families sleeping in cars and motels, and five times as many families being evicted as this same time last year.
“What that all boils down to is pre-pandemic, we saw about 30 families a month who absolutely had to have shelter, last year that was about 40 new families a month, and this year it’s about 50 families a month,” Family Gateway CEO Ellen Magnis said.
Their shelters are full and now they’re having to tap into their reserves. They’ve paid $50,000 this month alone for additional hotel rooms for families.
“That is just not a sustainable amount of money for us to be shelling out, so we wanted to make sure that everyone knew that this is a real problem in our community,” Magnis said.
It’s a problem Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn said the city’s Office of Homeless Solutions is also reporting. On Twitter, writing emergency shelters are full. She’s asking neighboring cities to step up.
Family Gateway is asking for monetary donations, sheets, pillows, blankets, towels and toiletries.
Long-term, they say there needs to be more affordable housing and a clear pathway to higher paying jobs.
Priscilla Ybarra is not homeless, but given the current situation, she’s looking to save anywhere she can. Thursday night she attended a back-to-school backpack distribution event hosted by Buckner International for 400 students in west Dallas.
“I’m a single mom of three so anything I can get right now is a big help,” she said.
“Backpacks are not cheap, believe me, sometimes backpacks are going for $20 a piece and I got three of themD so.”
Organizers say their research shows about 25% of parents are expecting to pay more than $500 on school supplies this year.