Housing Committee briefed on Building a Better Dallas program

Dallas Areas Habitat for Humanity briefed the City Council on declining homeowner rates saying that many middle income families have left Dallas, taking their tax and employment base with them. The organization came up with a plan: Dallas Area Habitat’s Vision 2020 with a goal to develop more neighborhoods and homes in the next four years compared to the past 30 years.

When comparing Dallas the Metroplex as a whole, Habitat for Humanity says Dallas is missing 62,000 middle income families representing a $3.6 billion spend each year. The briefing shows that while some neighborhoods thrive, many Dallas neighborhoods suffer from vacant & abandoned properties, income segregation, low home ownership rate, substandard housing and insufficient infrastructure.

Habitat for Humanity says they can develop neighborhoods in Dallas by leveraging some of their existing resources like their successful home ownership education model, new home buyer readiness program, and by becoming a HUD certified counseling agency.

Habitat for Humanity is currently working with banks to provide mortgages to clients who have completed their home ownership classes. Under their new mortgage system, their homeowners will still have an affordable mortgage and pay no more than 30% of income towards housing costs. Habitat for Humanity is also actively seeking to purchase land throughout Dallas County, both in traditional Habitat neighborhoods and in new areas of higher opportunity.

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