A huge controversy erupted when the Samaritan Inn -- the only Homeless Shelter in both the City of McKinney and Collin County Texas (just north of Dallas) -- ran out of room for families in need, and asked  permission to expand its facility.

After covering overflowing city meetings where neighbors and shelter proponents squared-off, I decided to see what the shelter was really like by spending the night undercover. My account ran as feature article in a special "Sunday Spotlight" section on the shelter.

Later -- once a special mayor's task force presented its recommendations -- I wrote a column advocating for the city to let the shelter expand.

(Click for articles)

Column advocating the city stop delaying approval of homeless shelter expansion.

First-person account of my night spent undercover at the Samaritan Inn homeless shelter.

Background of how the Samaritan Inn was established. Ran as a sidebar piece in the Sunday Spotlight section about the inn.