Homeless No More

Dallas breaks ground on $8 million housing project for chronically homeless

Officials have begun construction on a new housing project targeting the chronically homeless. Funded by a public-private partnership between the City of Dallas and charity groups, the Cottages at Hickory Crossing will provide homes and supportive services for 50 Dallas residents with a history of mental illness and incarceration.

The $8.2 million project is located on a wooded, 2.7-acre site near Interstate 30 and Malcom X Boulevard, just south of downtown Dallas.

Mayor Mike Rawlings said creating the Cottages at Hickory Crossing was "the right thing to do" from a humanitarian and financial perspective.

In a statement, Mayor Mike Rawlings said creating the Cottages at Hickory Crossing was "the right thing to do" from a humanitarian and financial perspective.

"By providing homes and intensive mental health treatment, we’re offering a permanent solution to a complex problem. And we’re doing it in a way that’s cost-effective for the city and county," Rawlings said.

"It’s less expensive to provide homes for the chronically homeless than it is to have them live untreated on the streets, where they keep rotating in and out of hospitals and jails."

Each 400-square-foot unit is furnished and includes a covered porch and shared courtyard. Metrocare Services will provide onsite treatment through psychiatrists, registered nurses, counselors and case managers. These specialists will address substance abuse, behavioral issues and other mental health challenges.

"We put a lot of thought into making the Cottages at Hickory Crossing a livable, viable and sustainable community that works well for the people who live here," said architect Brent Brown.

Private support for the project comes from CitySquare, Central Dallas Community Development Corporation, Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance, Metrocare Services, UT Southwestern Medical Center and Communities Foundation of Texas, which launched the cottages with a $2.5 million challenge grant from its W.W. Caruth Jr. Foundation Fund.

"By providing homes and intensive mental health treatment, we’re offering a permanent solution to a complex problem," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said.

Photo courtesy of brodude.ru

"By providing homes and intensive mental health treatment, we’re offering a permanent solution to a complex problem," Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings said.

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bang for your buck

These are the 10 most affordable ZIP codes for Dallas-area renters

Photo by Jenifer McNeil Baker for Greystar

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Buying a home in Dallas is difficult enough to afford these days, and doubly so if you're already paying high rent on an apartment or a house. But there are 10 Dallas-Fort Worth ZIP codes where renters can get the most bang for their buck, according to a new study by financial services company CashNetUSA.

To find the most affordable ZIP codes to rent in the U.S., analysts compared median household incomes by ZIP code to the average annual rent costs using the Zillow Observed Rent Index. ZIP codes where the average annual rental costs required the lowest percentage of median household income were considered the "most affordable."

Two Dallas suburbs and their ZIP codes specifically stood out in CashNetUSA's ranking of the most affordable ZIPs for renters across the Metroplex: 75013 in Allen (No. 1) and 75033 in Frisco (No. 2).

According to the study's findings, the average monthly cost of a rental in Allen comes out to $1,716.45, and the median annual income of an Allen household is $145,220. Analysts then calculated that the annual rent of a home in the Allen ZIP code only takes up 14.18 percent of a household's median income, which is the No. 1 lowest in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Allen was recently named one of the best small cities to live in, with a scorching hot real estate market to match its thriving popularity and growth.

In Frisco's 75033 ZIP, annual rent costs only represent 14.89 percent of a household's median annual income. The area – which encompasses the Meadow Hill Estates, Preston Highlands North, Christie Ranch, Newman Village, Shaddock Creek Estates, and Collin neighborhoods – has a median household income of $149,525, and average rent costs add up to $1,855.49, according to the study.

Meanwhile, Dallas' own 75214 ZIP code ranked No. 8 in the metro-wide ranking of most affordable ZIPs for renters. This area consists of several established Dallas neighborhoods, including Northeast Dallas, Wilshire Heights, Lakewood, Lakewood Hills, Junius Heights, and Munger Place.

The median annual income for a household in 75214 comes out to $104,583, and the average rental costs $1,669.40 per month. That means annual rent payments account for 19.15 percent of a household's median income, according to the study.

The seven other ZIPs that make up the top 10 most affordable ZIP codes for renters in Dallas-Fort Worth include:

No. 3 – 76248 in Keller
No. 4 – 76085 in Weatherford
No. 5 – 76262 in Roanoke
No. 6 – 75078 in Prosper
No. 7 – 75048 in Sachse
No. 9 – 75077 in Highland Village
No. 10 – 75093 in Plano

Top ZIP codes for renters in the U.S.
CashNetUSA found the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code for renters nationwide is 66224 in Leawood, Kansas, where annual rent only takes a 10.57 percent cut out of a household's median annual income.

Elsewhere in Texas, San Antonio's 78248 ZIP ranked as the No. 4 most affordable ZIP code for renters in the U.S., and the No. 1 most affordable ZIP code statewide.

Two Houston-area ZIP codes – 77401 and 77094 – ranked No. 9 and No. 12 nationally, while Allen's 75013 ZIP code fell two spots behind to claim the No. 14 spot.

frisco suburbs zip codes rent