Dallas leaders are advancing a new public-private effort aimed at tackling the city’s housing shortage and rising costs.
Known as House DTX, the initiative brings together housing advocates and policy leaders to develop new public policy recommendations that could reshape how housing is built and preserved across Dallas. The goal is to increase the overall supply of housing, from market-rate to affordable units, while also giving residents more options and stabilizing prices.
Greater Dallas Planning Council president Reuben Landa said the effort is still in its planning phase, as there is no estimate, as of now, on the number of homes the initiative will build over the next few years.
“We haven’t gotten there yet,” Landa said. “The goal is to create public policy that will allow for an increased number of housing units in the Dallas area, not just affordable housing, but as many more housing units that we could bring into the market that’ll help lower cost.”
House DTX is focused on crafting a broad set of policy recommendations that will eventually go before the Dallas City Council. Landa said increasing housing inventory across all price points could ease pressure on the market by creating a ripple effect; as new homes are built, existing units become available for others.
The initiative is also exploring redevelopment strategies, including converting older or underused buildings into residential spaces and encouraging mixed-use development. Recent changes in state law allowing housing on some commercial properties could expand those opportunities.
Beyond construction, House DTX is addressing concerns about displacement and homelessness. Landa said workforce development and supportive services will be key to ensuring longtime residents can benefit from neighborhood growth.
“If you could find ways to create economic opportunities for people in these communities … then maybe they won’t be displaced because now they’re making money to help sustain their current homes,” he said.
Organizers plan to present drafted policy recommendations to the public around August or September, to gather feedback before it’s submitted to city leaders.
This initiative was spearheaded by the Communities Foundation of Texas when it announced in Oct. 2025 that over the next five years, it would commit $50 million towards a new Housing Impact Fund, with a goal to reach $100 million through the support of partners. Some of those partner organizations include the Bush Institute, the Child Poverty Action Lab, Habitat for Humanity, and the Dallas Housing Coalition.
“Each of these organizations has done a tremendous amount of work in the space of housing,” Landa said. “We're coming in and being a part of a great team of organizations that really have a passion to do what's right in the area of housing.”
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