Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance

What Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance does

Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, operating under the public-facing name Housing Forward, is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. It serves as the lead agency for the Dallas/Collin County Continuum of Care, coordinating regional homelessness response across two counties. The organization operates the All Neighbors Coalition, a collaborative network of more than 150 partner organizations that deliver direct services including emergency shelter, case management, rental and utility assistance, and housing placement. Housing Forward provides the underlying technical and convening infrastructure for this coalition through its Coordinated Access System (CAS), which matches individuals experiencing homelessness to appropriate resources, and its Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), which tracks service delivery and outcomes across partner organizations.

The organization's core technology platform comprises HMIS and CAS as the integration backbone, complemented by a Flex Fund processing system that has administered $4,935,519 in flexible financial assistance for housing stabilization. A public-facing Data Dashboard reports aggregate outcomes including 23,000+ individuals housed since 2021, 296 housed from encampment decommissioning, and 3,341+ training hours delivered. Supporting programs include a landlord and property owner incentive program (accessed via an online JotForm portal), training resources for service providers, and community engagement content including the "Hard Conversations" video series. Recent strategic moves include the 2023 rebrand to Housing Forward, executive team completion with CFO and CERO appointments in May 2025, and release of fifth consecutive year-over-year Point-In-Time decrease data in May 2026.

Housing Forward generates revenue through individual and corporate donations, federal/state/local government grants and contracts (including HUD Continuum of Care funding), and landlord incentive program funding. As a non-profit, it does not charge for core services to its primary beneficiary population — individuals experiencing homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties, including single adults, youth, and families. A secondary segment comprises landlords and property owners engaged through the incentive program to expand available housing inventory.

Name

Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance

Legal name

Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance

Website

http://www.mdhadallas.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, operating as Housing Forward, is a Dallas-based non-profit that coordinates homelessness services across Dallas and Collin Counties through a 150+ partner coalition, operating the Coordinated Access System and HMIS to match individuals experiencing homelessness to housing resources.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Homelessness Services Coordination

NAICS

Community Housing Services (62422), Other Community Housing Services (624229), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Homelessness Prevention, Shelter & Supportive Housing Services (BPAIANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB), Affordable Housing & Community Development (Housing, Community Land Trusts) (BPAGALAC), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Homelessness services coordination
• Continuum of care
• Coordinated access system
• Housing placement services
• Community coalition network

Headquarters

HQ city

Dallas

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Individual and corporate donations from community members supporting the organization's mission to end homelessness.
2. Government Grants and Contracts: Federal, state, and local government funding for homelessness services and housing programs.
3. Landlord Incentive Programs: Funding programs to incentivize landlords and property owners to provide housing for vulnerable populations.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (operating as Housing Forward) leads a system-wide, data-driven strategy to address homelessness across Dallas and Collin Counties. The organization coordinates housing and services through a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and a Coordinated Access System (CAS), administers Flex Funds to overcome barriers to housing, runs landlord engagement and incentive programs, and convenes the All Neighbors Coalition of 150+ partner organizations delivering direct services to individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.

Product overview

Housing Forward (formerly Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance) operates as a unified platform with multiple interconnected programs: the core Coordinated Access System (CAS) and Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) provide the technical infrastructure for coordinating housing services, while the All Neighbors Coalition serves as the collaborative network of 150+ partners delivering direct services. Supporting functions include the Flex Funds financial assistance program, a public Data Dashboard for tracking outcomes, and Training Resources for capacity building. These components work together within a system-wide, data-driven strategy to end homelessness in Dallas and Collin Counties.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coordinated Access System (CAS)
• Homeless Management Information System (HMIS)
• Flex Funds Program
• Landlord Incentive Program
• Training Resources

Quantifiable outcome

• 23,000+ individuals housed since 2021
• +3 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• All Neighbors CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collaborative network of 150+ partner organizations across Dallas and Collin Counties that provides resources and support directly to individuals, youth, and families experiencing homelessness. The coalition is the primary mechanism through which Housing Forward delivers services, including HMIS participation, coordinated access, training, and funding coordination. Coalition partners include nonprofits, government agencies, healthcare providers, and faith-based organizations working together to end homelessness through the Framework to End Youth Homelessness and broader system-wide initiatives.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority: Joint powers authority and HUD Continuum of Care lead agency for Los Angeles County that operates the LA Homeless Management Information System (LA-HMIS) and Coordinated Entry System across a large coalition of service providers — directly comparable as a regional CoC coordinating body.
• Coalition for the Homeless (Houston / Harris County): Continuum of Care lead planning entity for the Houston/Harris County region, coordinating HMIS, case management, and a network of service partners — closely mirrors Housing Forward's coordinating role at a similar metropolitan scale.
• King County Regional Homelessness Authority: Regional governmental authority overseeing the Seattle/King County Continuum of Care, administering HMIS and coordinated entry — directly comparable as a metropolitan CoC lead agency.
• Chicago Alliance to End Homelessness: Continuum of Care lead agency for Chicago, coordinating HMIS and a partner network to reduce homelessness — operates a near-identical model to Housing Forward at metropolitan scale.
• Heartland 360 (Heartland Continuum of Care): Continuum of Care lead planning agency serving a multi-county region, administering HMIS and coordinated entry — directly comparable as a regional CoC coordinating entity similar in scale to Housing Forward's two-county footprint.

Emerging players

• Built for Zero (Community Solutions): National nonprofit working with cities to end homelessness through data-driven, quality-improvement methodology applied across HMIS and coordinated entry — comparable as a peer that emphasizes the same system-wide, data-driven approach Housing Forward uses.

Broad incumbents

• National Alliance to End Homelessness: National policy, research, and advocacy organization focused on ending homelessness across the U.S. — comparable as a broader-sector actor working on Continuum of Care systems and homelessness policy that frames Housing Forward's local work.

Regional players

• San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing: Municipal department administering San Francisco's homelessness response, including coordinated entry and HMIS participation — comparable as a regional CoC-adjacent coordinating body operating in a different metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mdha2
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/MetroDallasHomelessAlliance
• Facebookfacebook.com/mdhadallas
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/metro-dallas-homeless-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/housingforwardntx

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance