DreamTree Emphasizes Partnerships as a Means to Addressing Homelessness
Local organization DreamTree Project has been focused on the problem of housing insecurity in Northern New Mexico for many years. Through a variety of collaborations — including a recent partnership with HEART of Taos — street outreach and supportive services, DreamTree has been working to identify temporary and long-term solutions to housing problems in Taos for residents who still struggle to find a stable place to live.
Since 2015, DreamTree Project has led some of the earliest community discussions for the need for “permanent supportive housing,” according to DreamTree executive director Catherine Hummel.
“[Permanent supportive] housing is primarily for adults who've been homeless for a long period of time. It can also be for youth, but it's basically housing plus supportive services. There was no permanent supportive housing in Taos whatsoever,” said Hummel. She explained that providing permanent supportive housing has been one of DreamTree’s ongoing efforts.
After those initial discussions with community members, DreamTree collaborated with other organizations that following year in a grant program that helped unhoused individuals and families acquire rental vouchers. Although DreamTree primarily serves teens (ages 12 to 17) with transitional shelter in Northern New Mexico, Hummel explains they also help other organizations and partner with agencies like AmeriCorps to help provide resources to many community groups and organizations.
She said collaborations were especially ramped up during the pandemic where housing insecurity grew nationwide. Organizations they collaborated closely with include the Taos Men’s Shelter, Youth Heartline, Community Against Violence and HEART of Taos, to name just a few.
“Especially during COVID, it really rang true that we cannot do this alone. We can't support the community working separately, we have to work together,” said Kim Park, the executive director of HEART of Taos, an organization that serves women and families with transitional housing.
