DALLAS — It’s been empty for more than 10 years -- an abandoned hospital in Oak Cliff at the corner of Perryland and South Hampton Road.
The City of Dallas spent $6.5 million in bond money to buy it.
“The funding that was used are bond funds specially used for homeless services,” said Dallas city council member Casey Thomas.
Residents said that’s the problem.
They fear what will happen if the city brings homeless people into the area.
“My concern is that the school is literally directly across the street,” said Christina Anne, a resident.
The proposed homeless center sits right across the street from a school, a public library and nearby Kiest Park.
“I see when the city does homeless shelters or projects, it tends to be uncontrolled and those people spill out into neighborhoods and cause problems,” said resident Stan Aten.
Thomas, who pushed for the project, insists the facility won’t be a homeless shelter.
”The only thing that’s happened is the city has purchased the site using bond funds for homeless services, not a homeless shelter. Let me say that again, there will not be a homeless shelter,” said Thomas.
But, residents are suspicious, saying the city has had little communication with them and that the decision to buy the building was done in executive session.
”They just threw it at us and said it’s a done deal and can’t do anything about it,” said Aten.
Thomas said they had to vote to buy the building in executive session because it was a real estate deal and that those have to be done in private, not public, session.
“We can’t pin them down on exactly what kinds of residents are going to be there,” said Anne.
Thomas said the city has put together a work group to determine who will actually be housed there.
”We have a vetting process in place and we are going to make sure that everyone who lives in this location wants a place to stay and they want to be good neighbor,” said Thomas.
Residents said they understand the need for services but want the city to consider a different location, not close to a school.
There will be a meeting on Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. at Kiest Park Recreation Center.