Hard fought for and years in the making, The Salvation Army’s vision for a new social services campus is coming to fruition. It will bring much-needed resources to our region’s homelessness response.
The 21-acre campus west of Dallas Love Field in the Stemmons Corridor will boost services for those needing emergency shelter, addiction recovery assistance, those escaping sex trafficking or domestic violence and many others seeking help.
The capital costs associated with the new campus come entirely from private donations, said Christina Cavalier, managing director at The Salvation Army of North Texas. The One Army, Many Fronts campaign set a goal of $212.7 million, and all but $4.5 million of that has been raised.
That is a huge achievement, and it speaks to a sense of trust and confidence the philanthropic community has placed in this time-tested institution.
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Since it opened in 1986, The Salvation Army’s Carr P. Collins Center has been doing great work. But right now, it’s full, Cavalier said.
Operating at or above capacity has been the norm for the last few years. Some programs have operated at capacities as high as 120% to accommodate the community’s needs, Cavalier said.
The current facility has 150 beds for emergency shelter, including 15 for sex trafficking and domestic violence victims. The new campus will have 255 emergency shelter beds, including 41 for sex trafficking and domestic violence victims, Cavalier said.
The Salvation Army of North Texas’ Dallas Social Services Campus project
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The emergency shelter will be set up with semi-private rooms. Each room will house four people, each with their own locking storage spaces. This approach is different from “mass sheltering” that puts rows of bunk beds together, Cavalier explained.
“We really want to have an environment that restores dignity for people, helps them feel hope.”
The campus will have a total of 600 beds, with 900 available during inclement weather. It is expected to open in 2027.
The campus will also include a dog kennel and park, Cavalier said. There will be an on-site medical, dental and behavioral health clinic and a child care center for non-school-age children. Dallas Area Rapid Transit will have a bus station on the campus.
Dallas and the surrounding region have made progress in dealing with homelessness, but it’s far from a settled problem. We all see it every day, going to work, picking up the kids or running errands, whether it’s a person camped underneath an overpass or in a public park.
The Salvation Army’s work, and its approach to this new campus, is a good reminder to all of us that homelessness isn’t just a nuisance to be removed, it’s the plight of real people who need help.
One of the most important ways we have of helping the homeless is to get them into shelters that are safe, secure and offer services to help them get on the path to stability. We always need more capacity, and we’re grateful for The Salvation Army and its generous donors for bringing this vision to life.
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