On Tuesday, Dallas County Commissioners approved $1.6 million in funding for the nonprofit to continue work in Joppa. Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has been working in the community for more than three decades, fixing up the infrastructure and building homes. Derrough’s home in Joppa was built by Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity.
The recently approved $1.6 million grant will pay for the construction of a new street and 30 affordable homes at 0% financing. The goal is for these homes to be available for families making 80% of the area median income. This, in theory, will help these families obtain generational wealth.
“For more than 30 years, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity has been committed to the Joppa community, partnering with families to build safe homes and create positive change throughout the neighborhood,” William Eubanks III, CEO of Dallas Habitat, said in a press release. “Today is a truly special day as this investment will not only transform the lives of the families who will call these houses their homes but also contribute to the revitalization of the entire Joppa community.”
All of this will take the effort of volunteers, staff and subcontractors. Some of those volunteers will ideally be future owners of the newly constructed homes. The nonprofit has something called a “sweat equity” program. As part of this program, future homeowners are required to participate in more than 350 volunteer hours.
They’ll spend this time helping to build their future home and attending financial education classes that will make them eligible for down payment assistance on the house. With Dallas Habitat’s affordability fund, these homes will be offered with 0% interest, and those who qualify can get up to $10,000 in assistance to help cover the down payment.“I feel like [Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity] is revitalizing Joppa ..." – Temeckia Derrough, Joppa resident
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Much of the money from this grant will go toward Joppa’s infrastructure needs, such as water and sewer pipes and sidewalks. Although other issues remain to be addressed, these basic needs are starting to be filled, Derrough said, and the tide is starting to turn for Joppa.
Air quality in Joppa has been a big issue for the community over the years, as it’s been home to several concrete batch plants. One of those plants will shut down this month. Derrough said she’s also preparing for a Texas Commission on Environmental Quality hearing in August regarding the permit for another batch plant in the community, hoping to get it shut down too.
“It’s a lot going on in Joppa,” she said. “I feel like [Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity] is revitalizing Joppa because when I moved there in 2006, it was a no man’s land down there. … The more residents we get to move into the Joppa community, we’ll have more people to fight and change the environment around our community.”
On top of the Joppa grant, the Dallas County Commissioners Court approved six other affordable housing projects that should bring another 200 affordable units to the county. The timeline for the Joppa project could change if the ransomware attack against Dallas interrupts the project's submission to the city. The city of Dallas is set to approve the project by December. From there, construction of the new Joppa homes is scheduled to begin in January 2025, with completion in the first quarter of 2026.
