New Dallas Initiative Brings Minority Developers to the Forefront
A new Dallas initiative aims to bring minority real estate developers to the forefront. On Wednesday, Innovan Neighborhoods launched the Community Developers Roundtable to address gaps in affordable housing and community development.
It was an opportunity South Dallas native Jason Brown didn’t want to miss – to be in a room with other developers who look like him and have similar stories.
Brown is President and CEO of Dallas City Homes, a nonprofit community development organization. He credits an encounter years ago for leading him down this path.
“I’m in this position now because of someone that came to my career day back in middle school who was just talking about their involvement in commercial real estate and their niche in the market,” he said.
The journey hasn’t been easy though. He said access to surplus cash is difficult to tap into, and, for many, it can hinder growth in the industry.
“For a lot of us, we’re figuring this out as we go, and it's traditional bootstrap without the resources,” said Brown.
He said this is why Wednesday’s event was so important. Already, Community Developers Round Table raised more than $1.3 million. CDR will work in partnership with Business and Community Lenders of Texas.