west dallas

Based on notes by Dallas Documenter Drew Emrich Dallas City Council […]

In November, West Dallas residents attended a public meeting to […]

The Dallas Community Land Trust (DCLT) is a nonprofit organization that aims to provide an affordable path to home ownership by keeping land costs low, and has recently hosted its first open house showcasing two homes in South Dallas that will be available for purchase by the end of the year.

Cynthia Rogers-Ellickson, the City of Dallas' Director of Housing and Community Development, reflects on her life and legacy of working to provide affordable housing and home repair services to the people of West Dallas.

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

The City of Dallas has launched Local Kitchen, a free eight-part course that teaches residents how to prepare nutritious recipes and grow their own produce, in an effort to address food insecurity and promote healthy eating habits in the West Dallas neighborhood.

Dallas ISD and City of Dallas officials broke ground on the new Career Institute West, which will provide industry certification programs for high school students to enter the workforce after graduation.

The City of Dallas is offering free passes to local venues for 13- to 17-year-olds and their parents to pick up at their neighborhood rec center, with some passes expiring soon and others lasting until the start of the school year.

West Dallas has seen the destruction of historic sites due to lack of preservation, but the demolition delay overlay ordinance could be a solution, allowing property owners to discuss alternatives to demolition and preserving the community's history.

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

The grassroots coalition West Dallas 1 has elected new leaders […]

Only 395 people have voted early in West Dallas — out of more than 17,000 registered voters. With low turnout deciding local elections, your vote carries serious power. Here's what candidates know (and don’t) about who’s voting — and how to make your voice count.

Nine candidates are running for the District 6 city council seat in Dallas, and eight of them attended a forum to discuss public safety, gentrification, affordable housing, and more, with candidates proposing policies such as reducing property tax values for West Dallas residents, preserving neighborhoods, and addressing environmental issues.

Natashia Gerald, a 42-year-old Dallas resident, is running for Dallas ISD District 5 trustee to advocate for effective programs and practices that meet the diverse needs of students in West Dallas.

Byron Sanders, a 20-year education leader and former CEO of Big Thought, is running for Dallas ISD District 5 trustee to ensure that Dallas ISD becomes a model of innovation, equity, and excellence for all students.

Alumni and community leaders of Dr. L. G. Pinkston High […]

A STEAM nonprofit for school-aged children and a metal salvage facility on Singleton are asking the City for zoning changes in West Dallas.

This Saturday Dallas ISD is opening the doors of its […]

A plot of land on Singleton and Winnetka in West […]

Gloria Chavarria has lived on Ingersoll Street in the Ledbetter […]

Builders of Hope, a West Dallas-based housing nonprofit, broke ground […]

The Civic Atlas is a new tool that makes public Dallas zoning and building permit data easy to use, designed to help residents of South and West Dallas track proposed developments that could impact their property values and taxes.

Earl D. Thomas, a Victory Gardens resident, is a third-generation […]

West Dallas residents looking for groceries or meals live in […]

Dallas ISD's West Dallas Junior High School will open this fall to seventh- and eighth-graders for the 2024-45 school year, and a new sign bearing its name is now in front of the former Thomas A. Edison Junior High School on Singleton.

The latest This spring the Dallas City Council voted unanimously […]

The Dallas Free Press is a newsroom that focuses on connecting neighbors to resources and events, with Jeffrey Ruiz serving as the communications coordinator for the weekly text message service that nearly 1,000 people in South Dallas and West Dallas subscribe to.

Trinity Groves has submitted plans to the City of Dallas Urban Design Peer Review Panel, which raises concerns about community engagement, understanding the history of West Dallas, and integrating the strong art community, culture, and history of the area.

Residents from West Dallas' Gilbert-Emory are leading the charge to give 75212 more banking options with a ground-up approach.

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

What is the job of the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees? How and when are they elected?

Riders in West Dallas have two DART-sponsored microtransit options: Circuit and GoLink. Why does DART sponsor two services?

Esther Villareal, a West Dallas resident and master naturalist, was […]

West Dallas' only school of choice might be renamed after Oak Cliff legacy names without the community's input.

Raul Reyes Jr., the founder and president of West Dallas 1, was a beloved community leader who dedicated his life to fighting for the people of West Dallas and will be remembered for his passion and commitment to the neighborhood.

Take a look at our spreadsheets to find out what 2017 Dallas bond projects have and have not been completed over the last seven years.

Dallas ISD is reopening Thomas Edison as the West Dallas Junior High, after years of advocating from neighbors, to provide seventh- and eighth-graders in the neighborhood with their own school.

On a typical day at L.G. Pinkston High School, as […]

The collaboration between Dallas ISD, Toyota, and SMU is now in its school year, expanding grades as the West Dallas school landscape shifts.

As property taxes rise city-wide, Dallas residents have a variety of options for payment plans or exemptions to lower their burden of the bill.

West Dallas is defined by its neighbors as south of the Trinity River and north of I-30, with Highway 12 creating the western border, and is comprised of almost the entirety of zip code 75212.

EPA will analyze the quality of air, water, soil and fish tissue in West Dallas to determine what pollutants are in the community.

Neighborhood groups are trying negotiation and legal action to get GAF and its pollution out of West Dallas faster — and without leaving a mess.

At a September Forward Dallas meeting, neighbors voiced anger over the city’s failure to protect the area.

On Oct. 12, West Dallas neighbors met to review policy suggestions for housing and land use for the West Dallas Community Vision Plan.

The latest: District 6 residents prioritized two projects for the […]

As NCTCOG moves forward with its Dallas to Fort Worth high-speed rail project, West Dallas neighbors have questions about potential neighborhood impact.

West Dallas has been busy — and our events calendar shows it. Over the past 10 days alone, neighbors gathered at meetings, planning sessions, and community conversations that speak to housing, infrastructure, and the future of the neighborhood. Here’s a quick look at what we heard, where we showed up, and what’s coming next.

La Bajada Neighborhood Community Association and neighbors are trying to appeal the quasi-judicial board's decision at the county or district court level, and have until Monday, Aug. 28, according to West Dallas City Councilmember Omar Narvaez’ office.

The case of City of Dallas v. Vanesko, heard by the Texas Supreme Court nearly 20 years ago, parallels a current situation in West Dallas' La Bajada neighborhood.

Chavela, a lifelong resident of West Dallas, left a lasting legacy of selfless service to her neighborhood.

Dr. L.G. Pinkston High School and West Dallas Middle School welcome new principals, Tameca Ward and Laura Guzman. Dallas Free Press sat down for conversations with Ward and Guzman to learn more about their vision for the 2023-24 school year. 

NSO is a Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay, which is a type of zoning district adopted by the City of Dallas in 2005. NSOs can regulate things like how much yard space is allowed on all sides of the home, where the garage is located and whether or not it is attached to the home, as well as the height of homes.

La Bajada residents have expressed frustration that the height and size of several new homes in their neighborhood are incompatible, but the La Bajada NSO is not being honored by the city and outside developers.

Property tax consultant Toby Toler worked with more than 100 people over DCAD’s four-week protest period in April and May. He feels like the majority of the people he helped in Southern Dallas were able to successfully challenge their property values and lower their taxes.

Dallas ISD is requiring all students, including preschoolers as young as 3-year-olds, to carry a clear backpack as part of the district’s “ongoing effort to ensure safer schools.”

This content originally was a newsletter Dallas Free Press emailed […]

Gipson Grocery store converted into a one-stop shop with many services aimed to strengthen its community members.

While GAF has canceled public meetings for the time being, West Dallas 1 is hosting its own public meetings with the goal of informing neighbors and amplifying more residents’ voices.

It wasn’t until Emmanuel Glover and Sarah Ashitey moved into Gilbert-emory that they learned their new house was in a historical African-American settlement.

The rapid sweep of gentrification has already wiped away many old homes in the once redlined Gilbert-Emory community.

West Dallas residents from Los Altos and community leaders gathered to honor the life and legacy of the late Rosa Lopez — her work in the community to improve the quality of living and empower neighbors.

Dallas ISD’s Marlene Yepez-Porras and Pinkston parent instructor Anthony McGee told parents the school’s staff is working with the DISD to approve training for teachers and staff on fentanyl awareness. The staff emphasized that parents must also help by speaking with children about the dangers of fentanyl and how to keep an eye out for signs of drug use outside of school.

“We're setting the agenda on much of what's going on in West Dallas,” Raul Reyes Jr. says. However, his six-year term is coming to an end, and he and Jeffrey Howard don’t want to lose West Dallas 1’s momentum. As they prepare to pass the torch to the next generation, they are hoping the website will build support and awareness of West Dallas 1’s continuing impact.

The Dallas City Council voted to remove the home insurance requirement for its home repair program in West Dallas, allowing residents like Patsy Ruth Jackson to finally qualify for assistance and make necessary repairs to their homes.

The Dallas City Council voted last week to forgo the home insurance requirement for homeowners applying to the West Dallas Targeted Rehab Program, a City of Dallas neighborhood revitalization effort designed to provide financial assistance for home repairs. The city had rejected nearly half of program applicants, most of whom lacked home insurance. 

Neighbors don’t understand why GAF needs so long to leave and question who will truly benefit from a land upgrade. Once again, they have to defend their vision for their neighborhood.

So far, the program has committed roughly $800,000 for about 90 eligible applicants, according to Thor Erickson, area redevelopment manager with the City’s department of housing and neighborhood revitalization. He says the goal was to complete 200 home repair projects and spend the $2 million within an 18-month period.

The city didn’t meet its goal, Jackson says, because applicants are finding the city’s requirements to be too strenuous. In order to qualify for the program, West Dallas residents have to meet a laundry list of demands: make less than $77,900, live in the home as their primary residence, have home insurance, have a clear title and be current on their property taxes and mortgage payments.

The Dallas Free Press team will be hosting a community coffee event tomorrow, Sept. 14, at Mokah from 8-9:30 a.m. to introduce their Report for America corps member Jeffrey Ruiz and discuss the role of community journalism in South and West Dallas.

The Rev. Dr. Walter Bookman was a pastor at The […]

Dallas Free Press is looking for a journalism pathway coordinator to work with students in South Dallas and West Dallas on writing, storytelling, civic engagement, media literacy and critical thinking skills that would benefit them no matter what career they choose.

West Dallas’ Ledbetter school on Gentry Drive was where Clifford […]

The soccer field sits in the middle of the Los Altos neighborhood’s Benito Juarez Parque de Heroes. Since 2012, when the City of Dallas built a fence around the field, it has gone mostly unused, except for the weekends when teams pay the city as much as $61 an hour to use the field for practice or games.

The land value of dozens of 7,000-square-foot parcels in Los Altos — just north of Singleton, up and down Borger, Crossman and Winnetka — all jumped from $65,000 to $168,000 this year. Several efforts are being made to educate West Dallas neighbors on how to protest property tax appraisals before the May 16 deadline.

Conceptos clave en la lucha de West Dallas por librarse de los contaminadores, incluida la importancia de la zonificación, los permisos y la acción cívica.

Key concepts in West Dallas' fight to get rid of polluters, including the significance of zoning, permits, and civic action.

Dallas is considering a new approach to permitting concrete batch plants, thanks to a long history of advocacy coming from West Dallas.

Esther Villareal, a West Dallas mother, teacher, and gardener, was appointed to the city's new environmental commission, and the West Dallas STEM school will open its new campus, with West Dallas families having priority admission.

Dallas Free Press has successfully increased its text subscribers threefold and expanded its pop-up newsroom outreach to South Dallas events, while also supporting local Black- and Latino-owned businesses.

Esther Villarreal, appointee to Dallas' environmental commission and West Dallas resident, reflects on her advocacy and shares her hopes for the health of her community.

Dallas Free Press was recognized by the Institute for Nonprofit News and the Local Independent Online News Publishers for its innovative use of text messaging to grow readership and its commitment to community-centered journalism.

The Dallas Free Press has been selected as a host newsroom partner for Report for America, and is seeking donations to cover the salary of a fellow who will be reporting on the impact of gentrification in South Dallas and West Dallas.

The Dallas Free Press has been recognized for its local journalism efforts, including its coronavirus coverage, text message service, and new publisher of the year, and has partnered with local media outlets to provide coverage of South Dallas and West Dallas.

Dallas Free Press was named the New Publisher of the Year by LION Publishers, and received awards for Best Coronavirus Coverage and Game-Changer for its text messaging service, recognizing its commitment to community-centered journalism.

Dallas Free Press is seeking an adept communicator who is highly organized to build strong relationships with potential major donors, funders and corporate sponsors.

This year, though seventh- and eighth-graders are at L.G. Pinkston High School's campus, they’re in a separate school with a unique learning approach — the new West Dallas STEM school.

The key partners on the project say affordable housing is a topic none of them has been able to consistently address on their own — but it’s a vital, systemic issue demanding greater response.

After listening to residents in early 2020, the City of Dallas planned to add colorful murals, artificial turf, family grills, playground equipment and more athletic fields to the park in the Los Altos neighborhood, located just south of Anita Martinez Recreation Center and Lorenzo de Zavala Elementary School.

Dallas ISD invested in 40,000 hotspots last school year for families without reliable internet at home, but this year DISD plans to spend $18 million on at-home wired connections for its students.

The Los Gallos Boxing Club wants to teach their students that with discipline and hard work, any obstacle that life brings can be overcome.

West Dallas residents have set the stage to challenge GAF’s […]

Dallas Free Press conducted a study with UT Austin's Center for Media Engagement to better understand the needs of South and West Dallas communities, and will host events this fall to present the findings and discuss how their work will respond to the community's requests.

Dallas Free Press has launched a journalism pathway from Dallas high schools to Dallas newsrooms, starting with efforts to educate high school students. We are looking for a part-time journalism pathway coordinator to work with students in South Dallas and West Dallas.

Circuit, a free ride-share service, is giving West Dallas neighbors an environmentally and financially friendly way to travel short distances.

What can children and teens do in West Dallas this summer? Dallas Free Press created a round-up of summer camps and activities.

For a school that recently faced academic elimination, the success of reaching the final four in the state, being awarded seven football scholarships in 2021, and having multiple teams in district playoffs gives hope that the best is yet to come.

A neighborhood-led plan "will be used to shape the future of West Dallas for the next 10 to 20 years,” and act to "slow down the fast-paced gentrification that is running a risk of literally changing the thread of our community and wiping away the history," says James Armstrong III.

From putting pressure on lead smelters in the 1980s to ongoing pushback against roofing manufacturer GAF, environmental justice issues in West Dallas have been community issues.

Trinity Park Conservancy leaders say they want to make the park a welcoming place for West Dallas and other communities along the riverbanks.