Dallas' new homeless center opens Tuesday with great expectations:

Expectations that fewer people will sleep on downtown sidewalks. That fewer of the homeless will cycle through the jail and psychiatric wards. That they will get more help.

The center, called The Bridge, is designed to provide mental health and addiction treatment and place people in homes as quickly as possible. The center will focus on the homeless people who can be the most difficult to help - those who are very ill and have been on the streets a long time.

But the $21 million taxpayer-funded facility faces major hurdles. The Dallas area lacks housing options. And Texas ranks 48th in the nation in funding mental health and substance abuse treatment.

Officials say The Bridge will go a long way toward reducing homelessness - but won't, by itself, solve the problem.

"The expectations of the homeless center should be high, but they should be realistic," said Mike Faenza, president and chief executive officer of the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, which will run the city-owned center. "The Bridge, as powerful and wonderful as it is, it's no panacea."

Its power, it is hoped, will come from its use of new approaches to helping homeless people. In one place - a campuslike environment with a landscaped courtyard - they will be offered everything from shelter and food to haircuts and housing assistance.

Unlike most area shelters, The Bridge will not require users to pay a fee or go into treatment. It will stay open during the day, when most shelters close and many homeless people end up roaming the streets.

It will treat the homeless as guests, officials say - another effort to attract people who typically avoid shelters. The idea is to build people's trust so eventually they will accept help.

But it's The Bridge's focus on the chronically homeless that makes it unique, Mr. Faenza said.

"The more ill you are, the less services you have, the more experiences you have being rejected from other services, the more we want you there," he said.

Business owners downtown, who have long complained about the presence of homeless people there, hope the center will be a significant improvement from the city facility it replaces, the overcrowded and inadequate Day Resource Center.

"It's a place to take them and say, 'Hey, you're not allowed to just hang out with your buddies and drink and start a fire,'" said Ted Hamilton, president of Hamilton Properties, which has developed lofts and retail spaces downtown. Mr. Hamilton heads the safety committee of the business association Downtown Dallas, which will provide security at The Bridge.

"My goal with The Bridge is, it's a place where we can take all these people where they can get stabilized," he said.

More housing needed

The Bridge's solution to homelessness - placing people in homes - sounds simple.

But Dallas only has about 852 units of housing for homeless people who need mental health care or other social services, called permanent supportive housing. The area needs 1,000 to 1,200 more of these homes, officials say.

"The Bridge is only good if there's someplace to go" next, said Mike Rawlings, who serves as Dallas' homeless czar. "We need at least 1,000 new units of housing out there. We've got to find quick ways to do that."

The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance is working on a plan to open more permanent supportive housing over the next several years. That plan is to go before the City Council this summer.

Adding the homes could take several years and millions of dollars and may likely require overcoming opposition from neighbors. To start, the Dallas Housing Authority plans to designate 200 rental-assistance vouchers for homeless people who agree to go into recovery.

James Shumake, a 61-year-old disabled former warehouse worker who sleeps on a mat inches away from others at the Day Resource Center, said he hopes The Bridge can help him get his own apartment. He said he can't afford one with the $573 a month he earns in disability.

"A lot of guys out here, if you put them in supportive housing, that would take care of the bulk of it [homelessness]," Mr. Shumake said.

State spending lags

Once chronically homeless people move into housing, many will still need intensive mental health care, addiction treatment or both. And those services are severely lacking.

Texas ranks near the bottom nationally in government spending on mental health services for the poor, including the homeless, according to the advocacy group Mental Health America.

The public mental health system primarily treats only three illnesses: major depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. People with other illnesses, such as post-traumatic stress disorder or anxiety, typically receive treatment only if they are in crisis.

The state hospitals remain full and do not provide long enough stays for many people to get stabilized, said Janie Metzinger, public policy director for Mental Health America of Greater Dallas. There's also a lack of prevention services.

"We need to do a better job of doing community-based mental health services so people don't deteriorate to the point where they become homeless," Ms. Metzinger said.

And patients who need substance abuse treatment are limited to about two weeks of residential treatment, said Doug Denton, executive director of Homeward Bound, which will offer detoxification and substance abuse treatment to people at The Bridge.

Demands are few

The Bridge's "low-demand" approach is new for Dallas, where most shelters require homeless people to pay a fee, find a job or attend religious services.

The Salvation Army, for example, charges a $7 nightly fee after the first three nights and closes during the day so it won't enable long-term homelessness, spokesman Pat Patey said.

With no fees, he said, "the conclusion people might come to is, 'I could just stay here all day. They'll feed me, and I can stay here forever.'"

But a tough-love philosophy doesn't work for the population The Bridge aims to attract, said Mr. Rawlings, the homeless czar.

"There's a high degree of mental illness here and/or substance abuse and/or physical disability," he said. "We have got to be very conscious that how we treat them is going to have a direct impact on our success."

Ultimately, The Bridge's success will be measured by how many chronically homeless people the center helps off the streets.

"I think there are a lot of people who have really high expectations," said Herschel Weisfeld, who has dealt with homeless people loitering around the Sara Ellen & Samuel Weisfeld Center he owns next to the Day Resource Center.

"The truth will be told in 24 to 36 months, when the center is in full swing," he said. "We are all looking for great success. The results will only be proven in time."

But Mr. Rawlings, proud of all The Bridge has to offer, is already celebrating.

"There's not going to be any reason for people to be on the streets anymore," he said.

"I'm thrilled about that."

The Bridge

The city and Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance are scheduled on Tuesday to open The Bridge, a new center to help the homeless. Here are the details:

What: The Bridge is a 24-hour center with a variety of services, including three meals a day, mental health care, emergency shelter, haircuts, laundry, storage and a kennel.

Why: The center aims to serve the chronically homeless, who suffer mental health problems and addictions and have been on the streets repeatedly or long-term.

How many: The Bridge can sleep up to 300 a night and provide care for 700 people daily. According to a recent count, Dallas has 5,869 homeless people, including 611 who are chronically homeless. Experts say the number of chronically homeless is likely closer to 1,000.

Who: The Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance will run the city-owned center. The Stewpot will provide three meals a day on-site instead of at its facility near City Hall.

How much: $21 million for construction. The Bridge will have an annual budget of $6.4 million. The city will contribute $3.2 million, the county $1 million, and the rest will be raised privately.

What next: The goal is to find special housing with intensive social services for homeless people. Dallas has 852 of the units in 15 projects and needs anout 1,200 more. The center is part of a Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance plan to end chronic homelessness by 2014.

How to help: It will cost roughly $25 a day to provide meals, shelter and social workers to help a person at The Bridge. To donate or volunteer, contact the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance at www.mdhadallas.org or call 214-670-1142.

SOURCE: Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance

Site area

Services building (detail below)

Dining hall

The Pavilion accommodates approximately 200 people

Security station

Welcome building

Third floor

Interim housing

Transitional housing and facilities for disabled people

22 beds women, 42 for men

Men's interim housing

Women's interim housing

Respite care

7 rooms, each with 2 beds, for peopel transitioning from hospitals

Second floor

Offices assistance focused on health, employment and other specialized services.

Work/Live housing

Transitional housing and facilities for able, job-seeking people

8 beds for women, 16 for men

First floor

Medical facilities

Primary and behavioral health care

Classrooms

Two classrooms and 2 computer labs used primarily for training and job searches

TROY OXFORD/Staff Artist

Homeless in Dallas

A census conducted by the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance counted 5,869 homeless people in Dallas County. Here is a breakdown of that number:

Total homeless population

Men 49% Women 29% Children 22%

Causes of homelessness

Unemployed, lost job 43%

Substance abuse/dependence 31%

Not enough money 27%

Domestic abuse/family problems 24%

Mental illness 22%

Medical disability 16%

Legal problems/prior conviction 11%

Eviction 7%

Natural disaster 1%

Other 7%

Top five identified needs

Permanent housing (not disabled) 26%

Job placement 21%

Bus pass 18%

Dental care 15%

Transportation 14%

SOURCE: Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance

2008 Annual "Point in Time" homeless count and census

TROY OXFORD/Staff Artist

Copyright 2008 THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS