Builders of Hope Breaks Ground On Affordable West Dallas Rentals

By |Published On: November 1, 2024|Categories: Development + Zoning, West Dallas|
Builders of Hope staff and community leaders celebrate the groundbreaking for Trinity West Villas. Photo by Brenda Hernandez

Builders of Hope, a West Dallas-based housing nonprofit, broke ground earlier this month on its latest mixed-income affordable housing project. The new Trinity West Villas marks a significant shift from the nonprofit’s typical single-family home developments. 

The 31-unit complex will be the first Builders of Hope development of multifamily rental units, and will include 1-, 2- and 3- bedroom floor plans. The project aligns with the nonprofit’s mission to address the affordable housing gap in Dallas’ historically redlined neighborhoods.

The 1-bedroom floor plans are expected to range anywhere from $750-$1,000 a month, while 2- and 3-bedroom options will be available to rent for less than $2,500.

Builders of Hope President and CEO James Armstrong says Dallas needs more affordable homes for families — specifically middle-class wage earners such as first responders, teachers and government workers. 

The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) defines affordable housing as housing in which the homeowner or renter is paying no more than a third of their income for housing costs, including utilities. This means that aside from basic bills, such as electricity, water and rent, residents still have money for other necessities.

A Dallas Housing Needs Assessment released by the City of Dallas Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee points to rapid new development in the City and continuous population growth as causes for the housing affordability crisis. As of 2022, 62% of renters and 50% of homeowners earning between $35,000 and $50,000 were spending more than 30% of their income on housing.

Some of the units in Trinity West Village will be income restricted for individuals who make as low as 50% of the area median income (AMI), Armstrong says. HUD currently defines Dallas’ median income as $110,330, so an individual earning $38,650 or less annually would qualify for those units.

A Rental Housing Needs Assessment conducted by the Child Poverty Action Lab found that as of 2023 the City had a 33,660 rental unit gap for households that are making 50% or below the AMI. Their findings show that this number will skyrocket to a gap of 83,500 rental units by 2030 without intervention. 

A median income chart for the Dallas area, published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in April 2024.

Currently, the apartments are not able to be rented yet, Armstrong says that lease applications will become available as they progress through construction.

“We want the people from West Dallas who have housing needs to be the ones who take advantage of Trinity West Villas,” Armstrong says.  

The $7.4 million Trinity West Villas project is funded by the City of Dallas’ Department of Housing through the Neighborhood Stabilization program and HOME Investment Partnerships. Project partners for the new housing development include JP Morgan Chase’s Equitable Development Initiative and the City of Dallas.

Historically, both Trinity West Villas and the adjacent Trinity West homes by Lennar were part of a racist federal housing project that opened in 1955. Greenleaf Ventures, the developer behind the 18-acre site that is home to Trinity West’ single-family homes and the neighboring villas, was approved to purchase the land from the Dallas Housing Authority as long as it would be used for mixed-income housing development.