Senior Citizens News

Senior living community breaks ground in South Dallas

Culbreath senior housing

Courtesy rendering

Ground was broken on a new senior housing development named for a longtime Dallas community leader: Called The Culbreath, it's going up at 2770 Bethurum Ave., in South Dallas, where it will provide 364 affordable housing units for residents age 62 and older.

According to a release, it's anticipated to open in summer 2027.

Named for Betty Culbreath, Board Chair for DHA Housing Solutions for North Texas, the development is going into a space that was previously the Rhoads Terrace public housing apartments, but was most recently vacant land.

It'll be a mixed-income property with two buildings, comprising 270 one-bedroom and 94 two-bedroom units, specifically designed for seniors. More than half — 54 percent — of the units will provide subsidies for residents who earn below 50 percent of the area median income.

The development will include a clubhouse with fitness room, business center, multipurpose room, library, and game room. Additional amenities include two dog parks, swimming pool, pickle ball court, and bocce ball court.

The project supports the city of Dallas' Housing Action Plan for Equity Strategy by providing housing and redevelopment in an underdeveloped area.

Speakers during the groundbreaking included Culbreath, along with Volunteers of America president/CEO Mike King; Volunteers of America Texas president/CEO Angela King; Comerica Bank executive VP Brian Enzler; FHLB Dallas senior VP Greg Hettrick; Local Initiatives Support Corporation senior director Ben Glispie; Amegy Bank senior VP Ray Miller; and Spring Valley Construction Company president Stephen Bruszer.

The Culbreath represents a $96.7 million public/private partnership between Volunteers of America and the Dallas Housing Authority.

Volunteers of America subsidiary VOANS provides affordable housing and healthcare in more than 40 states and Puerto Rico. As one of the largest non-profit affordable housing owners/operators in the nation, the VOANS portfolio includes 240-plus properties and 15,000 affordable housing units. VOANS also operates senior healthcare programs, including independent living, assisted living, memory care, home health care, and adult day care.

DHA, Housing Solutions for North Texas, provides affordable housing to low-income families and individuals. The agency is governed by a Board of Commissioners and administers housing programs funded and regulated by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. DHA is an independent, local government entity not affiliated with the City of Dallas Housing/Community Services department, which is governed by the City of Dallas.

VOANS VP Deborah Welchel said in a statement that the project marks "a significant milestone in our commitment to addressing the critical need for quality, affordable housing for seniors in Dallas."

“We’re not just building apartments — we’re creating a vibrant community where seniors can age with dignity and independence while remaining connected to the neighborhood they love," Welchel said.

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homebuying news

Texas ranks among the top 20 markets for homebuyers under 35

Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash

In 2025, Texas had more mortgage applicants under 35 years old than any other state in the country, the report found.

The Lone Star State is emerging as a top destination for young adult homebuyers, a new report has confirmed, with nearly 23 percent of all mortgage applications submitted by individuals under 35 years old.

Texas ranked No. 18 in SmartAsset's new study, "Where Young Adults are House Hunting," making it one of the most sought-after U.S. states "where the next generation of homeowners may be gaining the strongest foothold."

To determine where younger Americans are most actively pursuing homeownership, SmartAsset's analysts examined mortgage application data in all 50 states in 2025, and calculated the share of applications filed by buyers younger than 35 relative to all applicants.

A total 259,737 Texas homebuyers under 35 submitted mortgage applications in the last year alone — making Texas the state with the highest number of young adult applications in the country.

California and Florida, respectively, had the second- and third-highest numerical rate of young adult homebuyers with 170,434 and 159,429 applications in each state. But they still ranked at the bottom of the national list with the lowest percentage of young adult applications relative to all applicants in 2025 — at 14.7 and 14.8 percent.

North Dakota leads the nation as the top state for young homeowners with over 28 percent of all mortgage applications in 2025 submitted by homebuyers under 35, making up 6,551 applications.

SmartAsset also revealed something many homeowners might already know: younger Americans are more likely to pursue homeownership in states with lower housing costs.

"In each of the four states with the highest share of mortgage applications from adults younger than 35, the typical home value is less than $300,000: North Dakota (No. 1), West Virginia (No. 2), Nebraska (No. 3) and Iowa (No. 4)," the report's author wrote.

In Texas, the typical home is worth $302,187, which is the 18th highest in the U.S. Meanwhile, West Virginia and Mississippi are the only two states with home values under $200,000, the lowest nationwide.

Young potential homebuyers looking for a home in Dallas need to make about $83,000 to afford a starter home. Many surrounding suburbs also have high appeal for first-time homebuyers, such as McKinney and Plano, which offer a high quality of life for homeowners that want to start a family.

High home prices aren't the only challenges keeping young Americans from becoming homeowners, the report said. Other challenges like high interest rates and limited supply are also plaguing would-be homebuyers.

"According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, nearly 9 in 10 younger Americans say it is harder for them to buy a home than it was for their parents," the report said. "Nonetheless, younger buyers continue to aspire to homeownership, navigating an uneven landscape of affordability and opportunity."

real estate homebuying housing market smartasset reports