Dallas Council Denies Heavenly Homes Proposal For Infill Development in The Bottom District 

Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Carolyn King Arnold has championed for-sale single-family housing in The Bottom District, but she spearheaded an effort last week to deny $3 million in federal grant funds for Texas Heavenly Homes, citing public safety and legal concerns. 

It didn’t take much convincing for other elected officials to join Arnold in her motion to deny the funding.

Dallas has previously awarded $500,000 in grant funds to Texas Heavenly Homes, and the builder has not fulfilled his obligation, District 12 Councilwoman Cara Mendelsohn pointed out. 

“Why would you want to give them $3 million more when they didn’t perform on the half-million dollars?” Mendelsohn said. “It was not just for acquisition and clearing. It was for acquisition and [construction] on every lot. Now you want to give them more money and they haven’t fulfilled the first thing.”

City Hall Roundup: Heavenly Homes Proposal For Infill Development in The Bottom District Postponed to April 24

The latest Heavenly Homes proposal, for a 32-unit single-family affordable housing project, has been deferred twice but had to be denied so discussions can occur with the developer, Arnold said during an April 24 council meeting. 

“From a legal standpoint, I have an obligation to make sure certain things are done,” Arnold said. “There was a council vote in 2019 to make sure 10 homes were built … We have nine that I have some paperwork on but I don’t have the 10th one. COVID hit and we had some extensions, but I want to make sure I can come back with a report that the gap has been closed. That’s being a good steward in terms of tax dollars.” 

Additionally, there are concerns with timelines, public safety issues, and lot ownership, Arnold added. 

Support For Texas Heavenly Homes

Ken Montgomery said he served on the Housing, Homelessness, and Economic Development subcommittee for the 2024 bond and learned what the council wants in terms of housing.

“You want single-family detached, owner-occupied housing,” he said. “They should use existing funding sources. The use of those funds should be clear and unambiguous. You want to know where the funds are going. This project in The Bottom accomplishes all three of those.”

All 32 homes are single-family detached and for sale. Pricing on the homes ranges from $185,000 to $275,000. Funds flagged for the project come from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Community Development Block Grant. The project also lies within an equity target area. 

Walter Gray said his family has lived in The Bottom for generations and he recently purchased a home there through the Dallas Housing Assistance Program. 

“It provides a unique opportunity to gain equity in my old neighborhood and I’d love to see that opportunity extended to other people,” he said. 

Dick LeBlanc, president of Texas Heavenly Homes, said The Bottom area is being revitalized. 

“We have built 15 homes since January 2022,” he said. “Fourteen of them are sold and the last one has a contract pending. The market has really accepted what we’ve been doing. There’s a lot of momentum down in The Bottom.” 

The Bottom District Infill Development

The Texas Heavenly Homes website features a community site plan and a variety of floor plans. Many of the homes are reserved for low-income families and individuals.  

According to the website, the area known as The Bottom was established as a Freedmen’s Town two decades after it was settled in 1845. 

Arnold thanked the council for their support of new development in The Bottom. 

“We cannot let a project go without making sure those designs are top-notch and those designs speak to public safety,’ she said. “We want to make sure, as the value of The Bottom goes up … you’re looking at $250,000 homes. You want to make sure that’s a home that the resident is very proud of and that we don’t have to come back and correct something that we should have done in the beginning … If you support us today, we can sit down with Mr. Dick LeBlanc and do the right thing and do it legally.”

Mendelsohn reiterated her concerns that the developer has not met obligations dating back to 2008. 

“This is a good place to spend [American Rescue Plan Act funds],” she said. “I’m just not sure this is the right developer. I have a lot of concerns. I appreciate that the deputy mayor pro tem is going to work on it … To me, this looks like a hot mess.”