The Five Mile neighborhood in south Dallas was long neglected, lacking resources and not even connected to the city’s sewer and water systems, forcing residents to pay for their own sewer and water services elsewhere.
Currently experiencing a revival, the neighborhood is dotted with immaculate homes and empty lots being prepared for future development.
Just a few days ago, representatives gathered to tour and celebrate seven recently completed homes by the Catholic Housing Initiative, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing affordable housing in the Dallas area. The project is in addition to the 18 homes the organization has already built as part of its project to build up to 100 homes in the area.
Kalen Stimpson, a 28-year-old single mother, moved into one of the new homes in Five Mile in May after deciding to stop renting. CHI accommodated her demands for the home’s financial viability and guided her through the complicated process, she said.
“They were an organization that did all the research, did all the paperwork and got everything sorted out with the city of Dallas so I could get an affordable home and combined that with (down payment assistance),” she said, referring to a city program that helped cover closing costs.
Now she and her seven-year-old daughter have “a perfect space.”
Helping other families find such space of their own and combating housing inequality by building homes in the Five Mile area are central components of the Catholic Housing Initiative’s work, representatives of the group said.
So far, the initiative has acquired 35 lots for home construction and has an order for the next 20 lots by fall. Authorities plan to complete the Five Mile project by 2026.
Joe Dingman, treasurer and co-founder of the Catholic Housing Initiative, said people who move into homes with the group’s help receive “immediate equity.”
“This is life-changing for the families who buy these homes,” he said. “They’re going to end up in the middle class, even though they were basically counting on the down payment.”
Tennell Atkins, a Dallas City Council member who represents the southernmost district, which includes the Five Mile neighborhood and its surrounding areas, said the initiative’s work would not be possible without recent efforts to build critical infrastructure.
Before construction could begin, the neighborhood needed some water and sewer lines, Atkins noted.
In February, the Dallas City Council approved an $11.5 million project for Five Mile that includes replacing existing, deteriorating streets with concrete pavers, building new sidewalks and improving drainage.
The development of the neighborhood is a public-private partnership between the initiative and the City of Dallas, which offers resources such as the Dallas Homebuyer Assistance Program, which helps with down payments.
Although the program offers financial assistance to eligible applicants, the process can be lengthy for prospective homeowners, Dingman acknowledges.
The city must approve a buyer before the Catholic Housing Initiative can sell a home, Dingman said. Potential buyers must meet two income levels – low income or modest income – according to the properties the CHI has purchased for housing.
This means that the homebuyer’s income must be above 80%, but not above 120%, of the region’s median income based on household size, based on the number of family members dependent on the homebuyer’s income.
In 2022, the median income in Dallas-Fort Worth was $82,823.
Applying for assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development can take up to a month or more and can result in denial if documentation is incomplete, which can lead to months of delays.
Dingman recalled two ongoing cases in which houses were completed – one within 60 days, the other within 90 days – but could not be used because the organization was waiting for approval.
While touring a home during the recent grand opening, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price praised the final product but expressed concern about the long time it takes to find a buyer for a home.
“We need to find out: What are the barriers to owning a home?” he said.
The city’s website notes that homebuyers, mortgage lenders and real estate agents should expect up to 45 days for final inspection and notes that financing is subject to availability and on a first-come, first-served basis.
Paul Baccus, a homebuilder with Ergo Construction Management who grew up in the Five Mile neighborhood, said it was “an incredible achievement” to be able to contribute to the neighborhood’s transformation.
“That’s something you keep in mind when you’re 18 and say you want to be a house builder,” he said.
