Plans are in flux for a property in Dallas' District 3 originally meant to house the homeless, but the project faces resident opposition.
The work group was put on pause in October 2022 so city staff could review community input about the project. There was no community input before the city purchased the property. The group was reestablished in May 2023, increasing membership from 10 to 19 and adding representatives from Dallas ISD, a nearby library, a local elementary school and the nonprofit United Way of Metropolitan Dallas.
Option two is more aligned with community preferences for the site to have a housing and community-oriented focus. It would allow for a mixed-use housing development that could include supportive housing, a resource center for the community to provide job training, employment search services and meeting space. But this plan doesn’t fully align with the city’s goal of investing more into facilities to combat homelessness.
“I hope that these proposals will spur city staff to think outside the box with an open mind rather than trying to fit an already decided agenda into a property in which area residents from three council districts have their voices of opposition on record,” his email said.