Dallas Neighbors for Housing

Along with Ashley Flores, CPAL's Chief of Housing, I am pleased to share with you the 2024 Rental Housing Needs Assessment for the City of Dallas.  This 143-page report is our second annual attempt to focus on the gaps between supply and demand in the Dallas rental market, as well as the broader demographic and economic forces shaping the housing ecosystem.  Here are just a few of the primary findings in this year’s report... --The City of Dallas currently has a gap of 39,919 rental units affordable to households earning at or below 50% of the Area Median Income (AMI), which was $48,700 for a family of four in 2022. This means there are 65 affordable units for every 100 households at or below 50% AMI. --Driven by an anticipated loss of 54,000 unrestricted affordable housing units (a 98% decrease), we forecast the gap to grow to 76,073 units by 2035. This means there will be 24 affordable units for every 100 households at or below 50% AMI. The demand-supply gap is also projected to affect households up to 100% AMI – for example, by 2035, there will be 66 affordable units for every 100 households at or below 80% AMI and 94 affordable units for every 100 households at or below 100% AMI Rents have grown faster than wages: --Despite improvements over time in educational attainment and wage growth within the City of Dallas, the median rent is unaffordable for 71% of residents. Forty-nine percent of all renters in the City of Dallas are housing cost-burdened (meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing), but some groups are disproportionately affected: 69% of senior renters, 79% of single parents with children, 56% of Black renters, and 51% of Hispanic/Latino renters are housing cost-burdened. --Although all workers have seen nominal wage growth, the top three most common job types in DFW have median wages below $45,000. Due to inflation, wage growth has not necessarily translated into improved purchasing power, and residual income (income after paying rent) is thin for low-income households. --Wage growth has also been uneven: from 2012 to 2022, median income for Hispanic/Latino households grew the most (28%), while for Black households, it grew the least (8%), when adjusted for inflation. For those interested in digging deeper, we'd also like to draw your attention to some nuanced insights: --Residents with bachelor's and graduate degrees cannot always afford rent in Dallas: the median resident with a bachelor's degree ($69,789) cannot afford the median rent of a 2- or 3-bedroom rental unit. (see more on degree attainment, page 110) --Housing production has not kept pace with population and job growth in North Texas. For example, from 2012-2022, Dallas County added 41 new housing units for every 100 new jobs. (See breakdown by county, page 106).

Happy Fourth of July 🇺🇸 We're so proud to be part of a movement that is fighting for a future of abundance where everyone will have an opportunity to experience more freedom in their lives. The pathway to freedom for all of us is being courageous enough to change the status quo and say YES to a new way of removing barriers that are weighing Americans down. Say yes to new neighbors, dense housing, sustainable communities, and more freedom. ⭐

Dallas Neighbors for Housing founder Adam Lamont talks affordability and planning for the future. https://lnkd.in/gUUBHyue

We are now less than a week away from our best and most impactful chance to give public comment on Forward Dallas. RSVP for April 18th at CPC at 6 PM: https://lnkd.in/g5zW9rHk Let's quickly dive into _bcWORKSHOP's +ONE report (Link to full report: https://lnkd.in/e4QA9gqU) The report looks at adding one more unit to existing homes in Dallas through ADUs, duplexes, and lot splitting. It answers the fear of what neighborhoods would look like with more housing. Spoiler: they will look almost the same as how we used to build neighborhoods. The report talks about Junius Heights and other older neighborhoods that already has this kind of Missing Middle Housing. We can build these kinds of neighborhoods all across Dallas, along with adding more housing in those older neighborhoods. It also goes into the many benefits for both homeowners and the city as a whole. And it makes clear that it's not the only way we should add housing but is a first look that will likely be what works for most existing single-family homes. For us to make these changes a reality, we need to show up April 18th

So proud of our founder Adam Lamont telling our story and explaining why we advocate for housing with compassion.

See you all tonight!

This Friday at 11:00 AM, watch the next episode of the “Housing for All” Webinar Series hosted by DHC board member Andrea Glispie of Charles Schwab Bank! This time, she's joined by Adam Lamont, Teacher at Dallas ISD, and Co-Founder of Dallas Neighbors for Housing. The webinar will be streaming across all DHC social channels. #DallasHousingCoalition #DallasHousing

As the number of people experiencing #homelessness has increased, some have criticized #HousingFirst, an approach that aims to lower barriers to quickly moving people into housing and then providing them with voluntary, individually tailored supportive services. In a new post, Urban Institute experts harness the most rigorous and timely #evidence on the outcomes of Housing First interventions. The post highlights that, despite misconceptions, it is still the best and most successful strategy to help people exit homelessness. The #research shows: ✅ People experiencing homelessness want safe, affordable housing but struggle to access it. ✅ Housing First programs improve people’s quality of life and increase their access to preventative care. Program participants experienced reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits. ✅ Housing First programs are cost-effective. Supportive housing services helped participants avoid expensive public services, such as jail stays, emergency room visits, and ambulance use, offsetting about half the program’s total cost per person. https://urbn.is/49Oir1W

Less than a week until our meeting next Wednesday with LIHTC Developer Zach Krochtengel. Ever wondered how new Affordable Housing gets built and why we don't have more of it? Come out to Union Coffee next Wednesday night. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/eX4_vzXU

Good coverage of the housing advocacy fight in Dallas, featuring YIMBY Action's very own Adam Lamont! Keep up the awesome work Dallas Neighbors for Housing! https://lnkd.in/dGEwY46r