Committee Update on Dallas Housing Policy Postponed But It’s Coming Soon

September 15, 2023 | April Towery | | Affordable Housing

Share News:

A Dallas Housing Policy presentation planned for late August was postponed, but elected officials say that’s no reflection of where their priorities lie.

The presentation, originally scheduled for Aug. 22, will likely be heard at a meeting of the Housing and Homeless Solutions Committee, chaired by District 2 Councilman Jesse Moreno, in the near future, officials say.

It may be too soon to tell whether Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Director David Noguera’s recently announced resignation will negatively impact the implementation of the housing policy.

As budget hearings and 2024 bond referendum town halls have dominated Dallas news lately, we thought we’d take a closer look at the latest iteration of the housing policy lest it be lost in the shuffle.

Dallas City Council, Staff Spars Over ‘Not in My Backyard’ Mentality as Housing Policy Passes 12-2

Dallas Housing Policy 2033 Background

Dallas Housing Policy 2033 encountered some problems when originally proposed in mid-2022. Noguera identified mistakes made in the first go-round and set forth an effort to overhaul the document.

Noguera’s team also created a resource catalog of all the housing programs and available grant funds offered in Dallas.

The policy was adopted 12-2 in April, with District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn and then-District 10 Councilman Adam McGough opposed.

Elected officials agree the city needs more housing affordability and availability but differ in what it should look like, where it’s needed, and how the policy should be implemented.

Mendelsohn argued in the April council meeting that there was very little public engagement as the policy was crafted and that it prioritizes apartment complexes.

“When we look at the racial disparity of homeownership, this is a symptom of poverty,” she said at the time. “The focus of this council has not been on addressing poverty issues; it’s solely on exacerbating racial issues, in my opinion. What I’m not hearing is that robust conversation that says, ‘How are we going to make housing more affordable by changing, perhaps, how we develop it, including lot size and home size?’ Not everyone wants to live in multifamily.”

Dallas entered a contract with TDA Consulting in May for community engagement, implementation of a housing task force, selection of equity strategy target areas, development of agreements with city departments, compliance policies and procedures, and a program rollout.

Implementing Housing Ideas

It’s likely that much of the council’s time in the month of September will be devoted to reviewing budget amendments and determining a property tax rate. The new fiscal year begins Oct. 1.

There’s also the matter of the $1 billion 2024 bond issue and a comprehensive land use plan rewrite slated for adoption early next year.

But council members aren’t resting on their laurels when it comes to housing policy.

Councilman Chad West, a member of the housing committee, said in an email to District 1 residents that he’s hopeful the policy strategies and targets will surface after completion of the foundational work outlined in the DHP 2033 implementation schedule.

“My housing policy advisers have warned me that it includes lots of processes but little in the way of specific strategies and targets to develop and retain affordable housing,” he said.

West also recently suggested combating what he says is a strong “Not in My Backyard” mentality in Dallas. He’s suggesting the use of an Affordability Impact Statement like the one Austin City Council uses when considering zoning and policy matters.

“I have asked Dallas city staff to explore this tool and plan to either set it for an agenda at the [Government Performance and Financial Management] Committee or ask another committee chair to host this briefing,” West said. “We do need more tools to give council members the confidence that it’s OK to fight through the NIMBY that permeates City Hall frequently.”

Next Steps

Several of the objectives outlined in the presentation are already underway, according to TDA Consulting.

The next steps, according to an Aug. 22 presentation that was posted among city documents but hasn’t yet been delivered at the committee or council level are: