After years of waiting on City programs, Eula Wilson will receive a full home rebuild from Frazier Revitalization

After more than five years of applying for help through the City of Dallas’ home repair programs, Mill City resident Eula Wilson is finally getting what she’s needed all along: not just repairs, but a brand new home. 

The rebuild, led by South Dallas nonprofit organization Frazier Revitalization, comes after a home assessment through the Frazier Healthy Homes program revealed unsafe living conditions. The decision to rebuild the home highlights both the gaps in the City’s system, and the growing role that community organizations are playing to fill them. 

Tabatha Levi, director of community engagement at Frazier Revitalization, said the organization first met Wilson two years ago at a “Try It! Tuesday” community workshop, a recurring monthly program hosted by the nonprofit.

“When she started coming, she told me that she needed help with her house. And I said, ‘What do you need?’ And she said, ‘Everything,’” Levi recalls. “And that’s all she ever said to me. So we did not know the extent of the repairs she needed.” 

Over the last year, Wilson began sharing more about her experiences applying for help through the City. Levi says Frazier has heard similar stories from other neighbors.

“A lot of people come and talk about the City of Dallas, and how their repair program is somewhat restrictive,” she said. “We get it, which is why we’re not. We want to be able to help as many people as we can.”

‘This is going to be bigger than a rehab’

When Dallas Free Press published an earlier story about Wilson, it brought renewed attention to her situation. Dallas Free Press shared the story with Felisa Conner, Frazier’s president and CEO, who sent it to Levi.

“I just thought it was an info article to explain everything Eula’s working through,” Levi says. “But I still didn’t understand the extent.”

Frazier then scheduled a full home inspection of Wilson’s home, including a plumbing scope and title search. This is part of their standard process for every homeowner, Levi says, regardless of whether they can ultimately provide support.

When Levi arrived with a general contractor from D L Construction Management, Wilson was sitting on the porch with her sister and daughter, laughing together. 

“I’m thinking, ‘OK, this is going to be bigger than a rehab,’” Levi says.

Levi’s primary concern with Wilson’s home is that it is not “safe and healthy.” She describes evidence of mold, rotting wood, and how sunlight seeps through the rafters. Wilson had been without hot water for years, and there was no functioning heating or cooling system. 

“You see the conditions,” Levi explains, “and how her spirit doesn’t match her home. She is so warm, loving and kind. We know that she deserves to be in a space that represents who she is.”

After the assessment, Levi says the contractor was explaining how much it was going to take to piece the home back together. Levi stopped him.

“I told him, ‘Just give me the numbers for a rebuild, and we’ll see what we can do.’”

Our reporting approach

What do Dallas residents need from journalists when it comes to housing?

That question has guided our housing coverage for years. Through conversations with residents, nonprofit leaders and community advocates, we repeatedly heard that one of the biggest challenges facing homeowners was accessing the resources needed to repair and remain in their homes.

Those conversations led to the creation of our Home Repair Resource Guide and an ongoing reporting project examining how Dallas’ home repair programs work, who they serve and where residents encounter barriers. Since the City paused many of its home repair programs in 2024, we’ve continued following the story — tracking policy changes, documenting residents’ experiences and reporting on what comes next.

This story is part of that continued effort.

‘Everybody deserves a safe and healthy home’

They did not tell Wilson right away. Instead, Levi took the findings back to Frazier’s leadership. When she presented the photos to Connor, Levi was direct. 

“It’s a total knock down. I’m not a [general contractor], but I know that her home is not safe. I know her home is not healthy. And everybody deserves a safe and healthy home to live in.” 

The cost of Wilson’s new home is estimated at $150,000. Most of the funding comes from an anonymous donor, Levi says, with additional support from TREC Community Investors. D L Construction Management is building the home at cost as a way to give back to South Dallas.

The project is currently waiting on the City of Dallas permitting process. Construction already began on the project, and the contractor estimates about 90 to 100 days to complete.

Frazier’s team offered to place Wilson in temporary housing arranged by DL Construction Management. However, she is opting to stay with her son, Chris Wilson, instead.

“D L Construction Management has built a property over here in South Dallas, and the people are going to now use it like a hotel house,” Levi explains. “They bill us for the monthly cost, and we pay that through the budget that we have for each project.”

Frazier Healthy Homes: A solution for preserving affordable housing

The Frazier Healthy Homes initiative aims to preserve affordable housing, circumvent gentrification, and help build generational wealth. Their goal is to positively impact 90 homes owned by legacy homeowners, which means they have been in their homes for more than 10 years. They support neighbors in the Bertrand and Mill City neighborhoods of South Dallas living in unsafe and unhealthy conditions.

Levi says the scope of repairs has grown significantly since the program began. Initially, they thought the rehabs were going to cost about $15,000 each. Then, they bumped the scope to $35,000, then $50,000, then $85,000 — it kept going up. 

“You go in thinking, ‘Oh, it’s just a roof,’ or ‘They just need a new foundation.’ No, it’s plumbing, electrical, floors, foundation, soffit, fascia — it’s all of that stuff that goes into making a home safe and healthy.”

Wilson is not the only neighbor receiving a brand new home this spring. Frazier is rebuilding another home in Mill City as well, located just around the corner from Wilson’s home.

Once a homeowner is accepted into the program, they’re invited to a “signing appointment,” which also serves as a design session. Homeowners can choose everything from exterior colors to flooring and finishes.

“They’re able to do things that maybe they didn’t get to do 35 or 60 years ago, but they’re able to do that now. They didn’t inherit this. It’s brand new, and it’s their picking.”

In addition to rebuilding homes, Frazier is launching a new partnership with the North Texas Food Bank to help furnish them. The food bank receives returned and gently used or slightly damaged furniture from Nebraska Furniture Mart that normally would be discarded, but this partnership will allow Frazier to fully furnish the homes. 

“When they move back into their home, then they’re able to really live in a home that’s safe and healthy. I keep saying that,” Levi says. “You know, a dining room table is more than just a dining room table. It’s a place for family. That’s what builds community.”