DALLAS — Put yourself in Christin Ervin’s shoes. She and her 14-year-old son have been homeless.
“Imagine being a teenager and having to go through this struggle,” said Ervin. “It’s just been a lot of back-and-forth, rejection after rejection.”
They bounced from family members’ homes to shelters to their car.
“We’ve gone to many apartment complexes. Many of them were over capacitated or had a waiting list,” said Ervin. “I applied for housing and have been on the housing list for a long period of time now and have yet to get any feedback or have my number pulled in the lottery.”
Now, they are staying at a hotel.
“I’m paying $850. That’s just for two weeks when that could be a whole month’s rent,” said Ervin.
WFAA met Christin as she spent her day off work applying for housing at Palladium RedBird, an affordable housing complex.
“I just hope that something comes up and that…I need a miracle,” said Ervin.
It is a miracle that is on the table as Dallas City Council discussed a $1.2 billion bond package on Wednesday. The proposal could put $19 million towards addressing homelessness by supporting the Office of Homeless Solutions.
“They’re looking for stability. They need some help,” said Bernard Baylor, Palladium RedBird assistant manager.
Baylor has helped residents facing homelessness for years.
“They’re right at the border line at the edge where they can’t get the help because they don’t meet the criteria.”
He said funding for homeless solutions could go a long way.
“Then you can get the clothing. You can get the food, the medical necessities taken care of. That helps an individual survive,” said Baylor.
The City Council passed the vote 14 to one. It will now go on the special election ballot on May 4.
“It’s a start. It’s a long overdue start,” said Baylor. “There is going to be another Christin after me. I hope that her fight isn’t as long as mine, but that aide comes to her quicker.”