Renter Protection, Homeless Shelter Funding Among Dallas’ Legislative Priorities in Upcoming Session

Housing-related state legislative priorities for the 2025 session include protecting rental subsidies from landlord discrimination, tenant protection from “junk fees,” and funding for emergency homeless shelters.

Director of Government Affairs Carrie Rogers reviewed state and federal legislative priorities during a Nov. 14 meeting of the City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee. 

Rogers pointed out that the legislative priorities are part of a living, breathing document that will be fine-tuned over the next year. 

“We’re still working through research and communicating with our department directors on additional intelligence to support these programs,” she said. 

Senior Governmental Affairs Coordinator Linley Youderian said the City Council’s adopted legislative agenda serves as a guide for city staff and council members advocating in Austin and Washington, D.C. 

Funding for Emergency Shelters

Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn inquired about prioritizing funding to shelter the homeless outside the Dallas city limits. Rogers explained that Dallas frequently provides emergency shelter for homeless individuals from neighboring cities because it has the resources to do so. 

The Office of Government Affairs recommends pursuing state funding “because we do take in a lot of unsheltered people from outside our city limits,” Rogers said.

Mendelsohn said she wanted Dallas to seek “cost recovery” from other cities when Dallas becomes the de facto shelter for North Texas. 

“I think we should provide [shelter],” she said. “I just don’t think we should have our taxpayers bear the burden when [other cities] could participate in that.” 

Councilwoman Gay Donnell Willis suggested looking at thresholds when determining whether to stand up a shelter, permanent supportive housing, or temporary housing for residents of other areas. 

“We do have some [other municipalities] who are helping, but, while we appreciate it, it may be a little tepid in the face of what we are encountering,” Willis said. ”Maybe you’re doing something but that doesn’t necessarily get you off the hook because Dallas is really doing a lot of heavy lifting. We’ve got a lot of resources here. I want to be sure that as we think about that, we are careful about how we can make sure that we get … cost recovery or some sort of compensation that would help us.” 

Rogers said her staff is looking into whether interlocal agreements, rather than state legislation, can be pursued with other government entities. 

Councilman Jesse Moreno, who chairs the Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee, said Dallas doesn’t want to turn its back on the unsheltered even if they are not from Dallas.

“But if we are going to take that responsibility, we do need support from neighboring cities and the county,” he said. 

Other Legislative Priorities Related to Housing

Councilman Chad West asked the Government Affairs team to look into the lack of condominium sales in Dallas.  

“I heard that condos were an issue because of the insurance requirement put on them by the state,” he said. “I’ve heard that from multiple unrelated developers, and I know that’s a type of housing we don’t see a lot in Texas. I’m hoping you find something out from our development community. I’d start with [The Real Estate Council] and work through that.”

Mendelsohn asked to separate the legislative priorities designating a “right-to-cure period” for tenants facing eviction and addressing delays created by renters facing eviction

“I’m very much in favor of having a right-to-cure period,” she said. “If somebody just missed paying rent and they get a notice saying, ‘Hey, you haven’t paid,’ and they say, ‘Oops, here you go,’ then no eviction is warranted. Creating a delay because you say you have the money but maybe you really don’t, those regulations have already been established and outlined and there’s a contract between the tenant and the landlord. There’s state law. I’m not in favor of creating a delay but I am in favor of a right-to-cure period.” 

Priorities will be presented to each council committee through December and presented to the full council in January, Rogers said.