2024 Dallas Housing Policies: What is on the Agenda?
The 2024 legislative session in Dallas will be an exciting one and holds the promise of addressing housing and enacting policies that will prioritize the needs of our community. Stakeholders will be advocating for a range of initiatives that are aimed at improving housing availability, affordability, and quality. We would like to keep you informed on the issues that will be addressed so that you can advocate for the policies that address issues that are important to you. Housing Policy school is “in session.”
Access to Housing and Equitable Development
Property Tax Reform: The current system protects homesteaded homeowners. When Dallas was developed and the property tax system was established, it held protections for single-family homeowners. However, as we see housing inventory shrink and houses being purchased by investors or multifamily housing developed by developers, who lack these homestead protections, tax increases that result from property values rising, fall directly to the rent. For this reason, the property tax system in Dallas disproportionately burdens renters. It also burdens developers of workforce housing and housing with more density became multifamily buildings often pay significantly more in taxes than single-family homes with similar market values. To offset the proportionality, property tax reforms are being proposed to make housing more affordable to renters.
Housing Quality and Quantity
Vacant Rent-Stabilized Units: Dallas, like many other metropolitan areas, faces the challenge of vacant rent-stabilized that are in states of disrepair. Advocates and nonprofits are working to create the means for these units to re-enter the housing market. The goal is to increase the housing supply through the renovation of these units and to have them occupied at affordable rates.
Transit-Oriented Development: What is transit-oriented development? This development increases housing options in areas where people want to live, making housing more accessible and affordable. City planning and zoning are a huge component of housing equity. This is definitely an issue to watch.
Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Reforming zoning regulations to allow ADUs in backyards and basements can increase the number of new homes, by legalizing existing structures, reducing overcrowding, and improving quality. Many of those looking for multigenerational homes may understand an ADU to mean an in-law suite or a guest house, however, restrictions surrounding these types of houses presented barriers to the development of smaller homes and structures.
Increasing the FAR Cap: Increasing the floor-to-area ratio is called the (FAR) cap and it is another example of zoning reform that we will likely see be introduced in new policies. Where we can increase the floor-to-area ratio in residential buildings, we can potentially create many more affordable housing options for low to middle-income earners. Developers have greater impetus to rezone developments where the FAR Cap is increased. Rezoning is key to helping areas house key populations, without displacing them.
We, as a community, have the opportunity to address housing challenges in 2024 by focusing on policy initiatives that improve accessibility, affordability, and quality. Through engagement, awareness, and advocacy we can bring more attention to these critical initiatives that will be facing lawmakers. If you would like to learn more about housing advocacy and how to help enact change in housing reform and develop equitable solutions keep following DCH.
Read more about what will be big housing issues in 2024 at our resources below!
https://dallascityhall.com/departments/housing-neighborhood-revitalization/Pages/Engagement.aspx
https://dhantx.com/report/dha-2020-2024-five-year-pha-plan/
https://www.dallashousingcoalition.com/
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/10/10/texas-housing-crisis-zoning/