Youth plan shaped by a 4,301-person survey goes to a council committee Monday, one step from a full council vote

A citywide strategic plan for Dallas residents ages 12 to 24 is back before a City Council committee Monday, and this time staff are asking members to decide whether it should move on to the full council.

The Quality of Life, Arts, and Culture Committee meets at 9 a.m. Oct. 19 at City Hall. Thor Erickson, director of the Office of Housing and Community Empowerment, and assistant director Christina da Silva are listed to present the Youth Programs and Youth Strategic Plan briefing.

The case staff make

The briefing cites Census survey estimates showing more than one in five young people in that age range living in poverty in Dallas, about 50,900 people. Staff describe the plan as a way to get city departments and outside partners working toward the same goals.

It sorts the city's work into three priorities: safety and resilience, covering violence prevention, family support and housing stability; opportunity and economic mobility, covering learning, mentorship, job preparation and digital access; and civic engagement, covering youth leadership, civic education and volunteering.

How it was built

The plan grew out of a 2024 Dallas Youth Survey run by the city's Youth Commission and the National Civic League, which drew answers from 4,301 young people. In April 2025 the city, the commission and the Close Up Foundation brought 250 high school students together to talk through the results.

Staff showed the committee a draft in November 2025, and the 15-member Youth Commission voted in June to recommend it.

What is already running

The deck lists programs across departments, from the parks department's teen recreation pass and the library's summer learning to the police department's Explorers program and the municipal court's teen court. A state-funded program for homeless young adults 18 to 24, including people leaving foster care, carries a $211,013 contract through Feb. 28, 2027.

A $300,000 agreement with Lonestar Justice Alliance pays for case management and violence-interruption work.

For the coming year, staff propose outreach in 11 priority ZIP codes aimed at teens who rarely use recreation centers. That effort serves ages 13 to 17 now, with plans to extend it to 18- to 24-year-olds.

Measuring results

Proposed yardsticks include the number of young people each program serves, how many young adults find stable housing, education and job milestones written into provider contracts, and how the city responds to recommendations from young residents. Staff note those measures still depend on available data and on targets for the 2027 fiscal year.

The timeline calls for an updated inventory of youth programs and gaps in November, Youth Commission priorities for 2027 in February and quarterly progress reports after that. The committee can give feedback and recommend whether the plan goes to the council for consideration and possible adoption.

Sources

webapi.legistar.com

cityofdallas.legistar1.com