Dallas Neighbors for Housing

08/13/2026

We are ecstatic to share that the Dallas County Commissioners have officially put the "homelessness relief tax" on the ballot in November. https://www.keranews.org/news/2026-08-11/dallas-county-commissioners-pass-budget-give-voters-chance-to-vote-on-homelessness-tax

Now, it is up to us, the voters of Dallas County, to vote YES for this smart and transformative effort.

08/07/2026

Earlier this evening, City Plan Commission approved the rezoning at Preston and Royal, and the debate now moves to the final step at City Council. https://www.dallasnews.com/business/real-estate/article/preston-hollow-preston-royal-leland-burk-22377420.php

As a group we mostly sat on the sidelines for the rezoning for two major reasons. 1. The proposal doesn't emphasize housing as much as it could with about 225 units in total. 2. Under SB840, the developer could by-right build something with possibly more units than that.

At the same time, we are heartened by the fact that this part of town that desperately needs to build more housing is one step closer to having 225 more units than before. It is notable that City Plan Commission did put in that in order to reach a maximum height of 240 feet, the developer must include 5% of units as affordable for those earning 60% of AMI. City Council should make sure to keep that in effect when it votes in the future.

08/05/2026

BIG NEWS: Dallas County moved closer to sending a ballot question to voters in November that would increase funds towards homelessness prevention in the County by about $100 million annually: https://www.dallasnews.com/news/dallas-local-government/article/dallas-homeless-tax-vote-reversal-22372777.php .

The County still needs to do a final approval of the proposal next Tuesday. Please email or call your Commissioner and ask them to support this historic investment: https://www.dallascounty.org/government/comcrt/ .

Remember that multiple studies (https://glimmeraustin.org/2019/04/18/the-most-cost-effective-way-to-help-the-homeless-is-to-give-them-homes/) have found housing the homeless is the most cost-effective way to combat homelessness by reducing costs (hospitals, jails, etc.) when the homeless cycle through the system.

Hopefully Dallas County voters will be able to approve this measure in November!

07/29/2026

As budget season approaches, don't miss out on attending the final Budget Tour Events Thursday/Friday evening and Sunday afternoon! RSVP: https://dsa-ntx.solidarity.tech/dallas-buget-tour-26?

Did you know that renters often end up paying the brunt of property taxes? While big corporations and commercial developers often get tax exemptions and breaks, homeowners in Dallas receive a 20% general homestead exemption along with other possible exemptions, most notably the 65+ exemption (https://www.dallascad.org/exemptions.aspx).

Renters, who pay property taxes indirectly through their rent, receive no such break, whether they live in apartments or a single-family home (https://www.texastribune.org/2023/07/06/texas-renters-property-tax/), and it's estimated that about 20% of rent goes towards paying property taxes. The primary reason renters don't receive any break is that they lack the political power of homeowners and big corporations.

The one exception for renters and property taxes are the tax-exempt PFC and HFC properties, something worth talking more about another time.

To be clear, property taxes are a burden on homeowners and renters alike in Dallas (https://www.keranews.org/news/2024-12-12/renters-pay-for-nearly-doubled-property-taxes-and-insurance-too), and this post isn't meant to pit homeowners vs. renters.

The point is that local and state taxes are slanted against renters in a really harmful way for working-class families. Simply slashing property taxes, while sometimes politically convenient, of course comes with huge costs in terms of lost services and needs that people rely on.

And if you are a renter, it's super important to show up and make your priorities known since a good chunk of your rent goes towards those property taxes!

07/24/2026

"Cheap Rooms Once Prevented Homelessness. We Need Them Back": https://www.governing.com/urban/cheap-rooms-once-prevented-homelessness-we-need-them-back

Single Room Occupancy Hotels (SROs or Residential Hotels in Dallas' code) provided some of the most affordable housing in the country for much of the 20th century, but cities like Dallas have made them hard to build. SROs are like dormitories with shared kitchens and bathrooms. While far from perfect, especially in the long-term, they are an improvement on the alternatives (sleeping outside, more expensive short-term hotels).

The most restrictive rule in Dallas around SROs is that they cannot be within one mile of each other. That means for example that there could only be one SRO in all of downtown. The intention of the rule is to keep them from concentrating in certain areas, but it's too restrictive and is inflating housing costs for our most vulnerable residents.

As Dallas sets out on a full zoning reform, making SROs easier to build will be one of our focuses as advocates. (h/t to Nathaniel Barrett for his focus on this)

07/13/2026

Thank you to the Stewpot and the Bridge for having some of our members as volunteers this weekend.

Advocacy and service go hand in hand, and the evening reinforced all of our commitments to creating a Dallas that treats every resident with respect, care, and the resources to call our city home.

07/08/2026

Join us this Saturday to volunteer at the Bridge Homeless Recovery Center from 5:30-7:00 PM!

Even if you've never joined us for an event before, we encourage you to join in order to meet other members and get involved.

RSVP through the link, or send us a message that you plan on joining! https://actionnetwork.org/events/volunteer-event-at-the-bridge/

07/02/2026

In a bi-partisan vote, Congress recently passed the Road to Housing Act. What is in the bill? Well, lots, like making manufactured homes easier to build, banning institutional investors from buying existing single-family homes, and a grant program to develop pre-approved designs. shorturl.at/4EAHn

According to experts (one of who happens to be a former Dallas resident!), passing the bill is just the first step. To make the provisions in the bill reality, HUD's capacity must be expanded instead of cut. https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/congress-has-finally-passed-major-housing-reform-real-work-starts-now

Again, a lot is in the bill (https://bipartisanpolicy.org/issue-brief/inside-the-deal-whats-in-the-final-21st-century-road-to-housing-act/), though even proponents note that the effects of it will be limited at first.

What the bill does do is affirm that housing is a major political issue and one issue that still can be dealt with across party lines.

The 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act represents a true bipartisan investment in housing affordability, but now federal agencies need the funding and the staf…

06/30/2026

Great times at the FIFA Fan Fest in Fair Park this past Saturday!

If you missed out and want to take part in our next in-person event, you are in luck! We are having a group volunteer event Saturday, July 11th from 5:30-7 PM at the Bridge. We hope that you can join for an opportunity to give back and learn more about all of the work that the Bridge does.

https://actionnetwork.org/events/volunteer-event-at-the-bridge/

06/26/2026

Reminder about our World Cup Social Tomorrow! There is still time to RSVP and join us of course! https://actionnetwork.org/events/world-cup-social/

Some reminders: -

Get your tickets by scanning the QR code or visiting dallasfwc26.com. We have extra ? tickets if people need one.
- Bring a refillable water bottle. There are hydration stations.
- Meet us at Akard station at 3:31pm if you're interested in taking the transit with us!