DALLAS (1080 KRLD) - About 150 people camped out at the western edge of Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge Thursday night in an attempt to call attention to the issue homelessness.
The group, Promise House, says 3,500 homeless people are staying in Dallas County.
Each year, volunteers attempt to count the number of homeless people living in North Texas. Last year, they counted 4,140 homeless people in Dallas and Collin Counties. That was a nine percent increase from 2017; they also found 23 percent more homeless people who were not staying in shelters.
Promise House works with kids and young adults who are homeless. Organizers of the camp-out say they hope to call attention to the issue, saying many kids have been abused or neglected.
"I just got off the ground, off the concrete. It has been an experience," says Promise House Chief Development Officer Coby Gray. "We're laying here, trying to get comfortable with all the sounds, all the noise. There were some young people playing basketball on that court while we were lying here. It was rough, especially for someone who is able to lay down in the comfort of her own home whenever she feels like it."
Gray says kids who are homeless would wake up in that situation and still be expected to go to school. She says that sets up a "cycle of poverty," where kids who grow up in poverty are more likely to stay impoverished as adults.
"This is just a small sliver of the hardships homeless and unsheltered youth face," Gray says. "This is an opportunity to make it real, and bring some of the challenges these youth face out of the shadows."
In addition to providing shelter, she says Promise House and other organizations provide counseling, medical and mental health services. Gray says families can also come together for counseling sessions.
Gray says a survey showed kids may not have access to documents like their birth certificate or social security card.
"These are things that are going to help them get jobs or get enrolled in school," she says. "These programs can really help a youth move forward and be self-sufficient. People just aren't aware of the challenges a homeless youth might face."
The group, Promise House, set up the camp at Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. About 150 people volunteered to spend the night. "It's just a very small sliver of the hardships that unsheltered youth face. Bring some of the challenges out of the shadows." pic.twitter.com/vpjHoDbpC6
— Alan Scaia (@scaia) March 8, 2019
