A board member of the Dallas nonprofit Refuge for Renewal — founded and chaired by hotelier Monty Bennett — has stepped down citing "incompatible" views on how to address homelessness in the city.
Mark Melton, a tax attorney who founded the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, submitted his resignation from the board on Tuesday. Despite being a board member, he says there has never been a board meeting or formal discussion since the organization was formed.
"It just kind of sat there and then, occasionally, I would hear on the news or something that other people were having some conversations about this issue that I didn't know about," Melton said. "And I certainly did not like the tone of what was coming out of those meetings."
Bennett said in a statement that Refuge for Renewal respected Melton's choice.
"Refuge for Renewal is leading efforts to solve the homelessness crisis in our city, and we have worked hard to unite a very large, diverse coalition of stakeholders from every perspective," Bennett said in the statement. "Our mission is straightforward: reduce homelessness across the city of Dallas, TX. This demands focus, dedication and unity. We respect Mark’s choice to step away from this work and wish him the best."
Refuge for Renewal was founded in 2023 to reduce homelessness in Dallas. This would be done by "fostering collaboration, enhancing lives, and building a unified community system of care," according to the organization's website.
Melton said the nonprofit was modeled after Haven for Hope in San Antonio, which tailors help for an individual person's needs and provides needed services on site.
But in the years since it was formed, he said there have been political conversations that he felt strayed from the original messaging.
In his letter to Bennett, Melton said he had no interest in associating with any program that criminalizes poverty.
"Since that time, I have watched with increasing concern as the organization's rhetoric around homelessness has escalated from something that at first seemed altruistic to something more punitive, as if homeless people were themselves the problem instead of fellow human beings in need of a solution," Melton said in his letter.
Melton said he plans to continue running the Eviction Advocacy Center, which defends tenants facing evictions. The center tried more than 7,500 eviction cases in the last year. He said the Eviction Advocacy Center addresses homelessness on "the other end of the spectrum," assisting people before they become homeless.
Bennett spoke to the state's Senate Committee on State Affairs in 2024, asking for support in addressing homelessness.
During his testimony he said he was concerned over homeless shelters in downtown Dallas.
"It is our duty to help our fellow man and these poor people need help," he told the committee. "At the same time, they should not have the right to make our communities not livable and that's the case in downtown Dallas and other places."
Bennett told the committee that these non-livable conditions happen when homeless people come to downtown for services and stay in downtown for continued assistance, occupying public spaces.
The issue of homelessness in downtown has been a controversial topic for some time.
In September four Dallas city council members met to discuss homelessness solutions in the city — and, allegedly, to discuss moving The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center from downtown.
Staff at The Bridge previously said its leadership team was not invited to any discussions and has no plans to relocate.
David Woody III, The Bridge president and CEO, has said that the center's central location provides access to recovery-oriented services for people experiencing homelessness.
The city council approved a $1.4 million increase in funding, totaling $5.9 million, for the Bridge after that meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno added a motion to bring good neighbor requirements to the Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee for review and discussion of progress.
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