Dallas officials are currently soliciting applicants for the City’s “Inclusive Housing Task Force” as part of the Dallas Housing Policy 2033.
The City released a video featuring area redevelopment manager Jasmine Bazley to encourage residents to apply.
“Hey Dallas, if you have an interested in affordable housing, then this opportunity is for you,” she says in the video. Bazley explains that the task force will act as an advisory body that “helps inform staff of community concerns and support for affordable housing projects.” The task force can provide “input” as City staff work on policies and programs offered by the Housing Department.
“We are seeking interested applicants with an interest to serve,” says Bazley, who notes that applicants need to live or work primarily in Dallas.
Members of the Inclusive Housing Task Force are expected to meet quarterly.
“Individuals who are experts in their communities or have backgrounds in affordable housing development, finance or who can offer insight into industry best practices, as well as those with experience in community organizing and affordable housing advocacy with ties to the communities we serve here in Dallas are encourage[d] to apply,” reads the application website.
Selected candidates will be assigned to one-year terms and required to attend at least 75% of meetings “to remain in good standing.”
The City is also looking for residents who would like to work with Dallas City Council members to select applicants for the Inclusive Housing Task Force. Those roles would require an initial commitment of six months during the application process.
In February, The Dallas Express reported the City is targeting certain neighborhoods in the implementation of “housing equity.” “Equity Strategy Target Areas” were chosen based on criteria including poverty, “racial equity,” homeownership, community engagement, and “social and economic vulnerabilities.”
The chosen areas are primarily located in Adam Bazaldua’s District 7 and Carolyn King Arnold’s District 4. During a Workforce, Education, and Equity Committee briefing on February 12, both expressed their support for the initiative, but Bazaldua was less optimistic about its implementation.
Dallas has been subject to extensive criticism regarding its low-income housing policies, with some local business and nonprofit leaders calling them ineffective yet burdensome and a deterrent to local developments.
“Local developers whose projects aren’t budgeted to handle the costs required to build affordable housing units are taking their projects elsewhere,” Beck Ventures development firm CEO Scott Beck previously told The Dallas Express.
To apply for the Inclusive Housing Task Force, click here.