If Approved May 4, Here’s How $26.4 Million Will Be Spent on Housing in The Dallas Bond Election
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A massive project list totaling $1.25 billion will go before voters on May 4, but specifics surrounding the $26.4 million allocated for housing — which brought out some of the most vocal and passionate advocates — remain elusive.
We’ll break down what’s on the ballot for housing, but it won’t take long.
A spreadsheet distributed by city officials at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 22, advises interested parties of some of the bond projects with a disclaimer that the project list will be updated every Friday. As of late last week, there were more than 800 projects on the list, primarily in the Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, and Streets and Transportation propositions.
A search of the spreadsheet identified just two bond projects under the Housing proposition: $24.4 million for “infrastructure on-site and in the city’s right-of-way” citywide and $2 million for infrastructure in Council District 3.
There are housing projects under other propositions. For example, $36.6 million is “designated for projects in support of housing” under the Economic Development proposition. A total of $19 million is slated for homeless housing, which includes permanent supportive housing with wraparound services.
What The 2024 Bond Means For Housing
City staff members explained during the bond process that funds allocated directly to the Housing proposition are “for infrastructure support and gap financing for housing development projects that support an economic impact.”
Individual direct subsidies, such as home repair for homeowners, do not provide an economic impact to meet a public purpose, District 1 Councilman Chad West told CandysDirt.com. Once that clarification was made, West determined that the best path forward for home repairs in his district is to streamline the process and make it more efficient — an initiative he’s pursuing without bond funds.
The councilman said he will continue to champion a housing element on top of the North Oak Cliff Library. Each council member was allotted $5 million in discretionary bond funds, and West allocated his funds in the following manner: $2 million for economic development, $1.5 million for streets and traffic calming, $1 million for homelessness, and $500,000 for parks.
“If [Council member Scott] Griggs had not allocated most of the discretionary spending from the 2017 bond toward economic development, we would not have seen improvements in the Wynnewood Village shopping complex, i.e. Target, and would likely not have been able to close the financing gap for Sprouts for the Fort Worth Avenue/Hampton [Road] intersection,” West said regarding his Economic Development allocation. “I felt that it was important to have these funds in place for the next six to seven years for economic opportunities throughout D1, especially considering the vast swath of new territory in the far western portions of Oak Cliff that we inherited during redistricting.”
District 3 Councilman Zarin Gracey was the only elected official to pledge discretionary funds directly to the Housing proposition.
Housing bond funds were widely debated, as advocates fought for $200 million.
District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn pointed out that there are more than a dozen local, state, and federal programs that allocate funds to housing.
“Week in and week out, we are actually creating a significant amount of housing through the channels that are already available to us,” Mendelsohn said at a February council meeting. “This is happening all the time at the council level.”
Dallas Neighbors for Housing issued a recent statement that its vision for Dallas “is one that is more livable, more affordable, and more equitable.”
“That city isn’t possible without more housing within our city, done in such a way that ensures diverse housing types that work for all different kinds of families and individuals,” the statement reads.
The Pothole-Filled Road to The 2024 Bond Election
The Dallas City Council was briefed back in August 2022 on the City’s infrastructure needs, leading to discussions on the need for a bond election.
Much talk about a 2024 bond program centered around how the projects weren’t supposed to be “sexy.” Bonds would be issued, pending voter approval, to deal with much-needed maintenance projects. Safe streets and good drainage attract home builders and economic development, the experts said.
Subsequently, 43 public input meetings were held across Dallas. A Community Bond Task Force was empaneled and asked to make recommendations on funding categories.
A memorandum war ensued between Mayor Eric Johnson and City Manager T.C. Broadnax over whether staff recommendations should take precedence over the CBTF’s work. A compromise was reached and ultimately the City Council agreed on the allocations divided among 10 propositions. A $1.25 billion bond package was approved Feb. 14.
Now the city needs voters to tell them which projects they want to be completed with bond funds soon. Early voting begins April 22.
For all things Dallas bond election, visit this city webpage.
