Earlier this month the city council's Housing Committee was told during this briefing the Texas
Department of Housing & Community Affairs doesn't have much coin to spare this year when it comes to doling out its Low Income Housing Tax Credits -- just $7.6 million total for a region spanning Dallas, Denton, Collin, Tarrant and Grayson counties, down from the already-not-much $9.1 million dispensed last year. (Says the TDHCA, there's only $44 mil in credits go around ... the entire state.) Which is bad news for the nine projects that have come to City Hall asking for their share of the shrinking pie. Far as City Hall's concerned, the region may see four, five projects get some of those HTCs; Dallas, one or two "at the most."
Which ones? Hard to say: City staff hasn't yet ranked the projects. But it has rated them based on a 25-point checklist approved by council four years ago, which includes such questions as, "Does the project fit in the City's priorities?" and "Has the City already provided financial assistance?" and "Does the project eliminate slum or blight?"
And so, tomorrow the Housing Committee will review staff's recommendations, which include a thumbs-up for Jack Matthews's 1400 Belleview on Browder, which last year received a TIF allotment of $1.65 million; Larry Hamilton and John Greenan's Cadillac Apartment on Cadiz and S. Ervay in the shadow of City Hall; First Presbyterian's Evergreen Residences at nearby 1701 Canton; and Frazier Revitalization's Hatcher Square at Scyene and Hatcher, which is being spearheaded by Jon Edmonds.
The other five -- Buckner Retirement
Village, Haven Cove, Lawnview Cottages, The Vistas at Wonderview and Kleberg Commons -- didn't receive sign-offs from city staff for myriad reasons, chief among them: "Do not recommend support as project is not part of the Southern
Dallas Economic Growth Plan and City funding is limited." City officials say this afternoon that, sure, we've only known about "GrowSouth" for a week or so. But discussions about Mayor Mike Rawlings's plan have been taking place internally for a good, long while. As you can see here.