A number of state leaders are gathering in Dallas Wednesday and Thursday to focus on the growing homelessness problem in the city.
Organizers of the Substance Use and Homelessness Summit say Dallas is at a breaking point, facing a convergence of substance use, homelessness, rising living costs, and overcrowded jails.
Local studies show that about one-third of the homeless population have alcohol or drug problems and about two-thirds have lifetime histories of those disorders.
On top of that, the proportion of opioid-related deaths in Dallas County involving Fentanyl has skyrocketed from 11 percent to 70 percent in just a few years.
The goal behind the summit is to strengthen public safety, expand access to care, and support long-term recovery.