Dallas Must Not Let Bad Landlords Off the Hook

The Dallas City Council passed a sweeping set of housing reforms last year which included requiring landlords to sign up with the city. But so far, fewer than 6,500 of the estimated 50,000 single-family rental homes have actually been registered.Those are among the concerning findings by The Dallas Morning News reporters Tristan Hallman and Julieta Chiquillo in their recent article about low-rent landlords.No doubt the number of single-family rental homes far outnumber city inspectors. Recalcitrant landlords can play the odds that months, if not years, will go by before the city can get around to them. Meanwhile, many low-income renters remain stuck in substandard living conditions or struggle to find affordable new shelter.  Continue reading...