Ending Homelessness Together

David S. Gruber, Development and Communications Director (10/27/19)

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Who Am I? Why Am I Here?

Rabbi

• 8th generation rabbi

• U.S. born, Israeli bred

• Served in leadership positions on three continents

• Once Orthodox, now secular Jew

Development and Communications Director

MDHA

• Strengthen MDHA as the backbone organization of Dallas’ homeless response system, as well as the system itself, through fundraising, messaging, and relationship building

Imagine we could end homelessness. Not just help individuals. Not just manage homelessness.

Imagine we could eradicate it. Imagine we could make this intractable social ill a thing of the past. 4

What Do We Mean?

We do not mean:No one ever

becomes homeless.

We do mean:

Homelessness rarely happens;

When it does it is brief;

It never happens to that person again.

Only one thing ends homelessness. 6

Veterans Challenge:We ended

140 veterans’ homelessness in 100 days.

VA verified their veteran status.

DHA gave them housing vouchers.

VA and DHA helped them find and rent apartments with those vouchers.

There is no step 4.

CVN-78 (Holds 4,500 people)

Our Priorities

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CVN-78

$13.5 BILLION

ENDING HOMELESSNESS

$2.3 BILLION

Football Stadium

Our Priorities

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EAGLES STADIUM

$60 MILLION

ENDING HOMELESSNESS

$17.5 MILLION*

The Americans will always do the right thing… after they’ve exhausted all the alternatives.

(Winston Churchill)12

What Can You Do?

Advocate for a different system

Advocate for more housing

Help the homeless build networks

Support your local homeless response system

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