Dallas considers smaller lots, more housing units on lots to boost affordability

Dallas City Council Members will begin the discussion on Dec. 6 of two big development changes to promote housing affordability.

They are smaller lots, and more housing units are allowed on lots. Living in Dallas is becoming costly as big new homes replace little old ones and new residents arrive from other cities where housing is even more expensive.

Councilman Chad West recruited four other members for the required five to push the suggested changes to a council discussion.

“It’s too expensive to live here, and it’s actually getting worse. They’re coming from the East Coast and the West Coast. They’re moving here because it is a favorable economy. And if we want to welcome them in our city and not just keep perpetuating urban sprawl, we’ve got to do something about providing housing initiatives,” West said.

West also said that the Kings Highway neighborhood in West's North Oak Cliff district exemplifies how the changes could work in other parts of the city.

There is a mix of duplex, fourplex housing, and single-family homes along that street.

One single-family home for sale priced at $750,000 has two small apartment units in the back.

West said his proposal to allow up to fourplexes by right in the city would help increase affordable housing availability.

“This is a neighborhood that has adjusted and developed over time with gentle density, allowing for housing for our service workers, police and fire, our nurses, folks that are otherwise getting pushed out to Grand Prairie, Garland, outside of Dallas, because they can’t afford to live here anymore,” West said.

A restriction that new duplex or fourplex construction is only allowed on vacant lots would be included to help discourage demolition of existing single-family homes by investors, which West said some critics fear.

Many of the big new homes in Dallas are too expensive for workforce families.

But bigger lots are still favored in existing Dallas zoning codes.

Southern Dallas has the most vacant land for new construction.  Under existing rules, one sizeable, new subdivision is under construction on Wheatland Road east of I-35E.

Councilman Tennell Atkins, who represents that area, is not yet on board with the proposed changes.

“We’ve got to be sure this does not incumber a lot of people, residents. The community’s got to be involved. They’ve got to say, ‘in my community I like it, in another community, I don’t like it’”, Atkins said.

The other Dallas City Council Members who signed West's memo requesting the discussion are Jaime Resendez, Jaynie Schultz, Paula Blackmon, and Adam Bazaldua.

The meeting planned for Dec. 6 would only be the start of that debate and feedback. Mayor Eric Johnson and all 14 city council members could alter or end the suggestions.

The expensive City of Austin has already made some changes to promote more housing density and affordability.