‘Paid in full’ is stamped across the property tax bills of 71 West Dallas families.

They applied in 2024 to a new property tax assistance program, launched and administered by community-anchored nonprofits Builders of Hope and Wesley-Rankin Community Center. The two orgs have sent a total of $102,454.93 to the Dallas Central Appraisal District (DCAD) to cover the families’ collective tax increases since 2020. 

Some West Dallas home values and corresponding taxes jumped 1200% in less than a decade, and many longtime homeowners left because they couldn’t afford to stay. This new program gives them a choice.

Builders of Hope is laser-focused on gentrification in Dallas. Their recently published anti-displacement toolkit, “A Right to Stay,” is full of ideas to address the root causes. 

Meanwhile, residents of neighborhoods like West Dallas are running out of time as they look for solutions — exactly why Builders of Hope launched the property tax assistance program months before the toolkit was finished.

“This resource is going to be more than policies and programs —it's about people,” emphasized West Dallas neighbor and Builders of Hope board chair Alta Mansch at November's toolkit launch. “It's about protecting the fabric of our communities and ensuring every resident has the opportunity to stay and thrive in their homes.” 

Above: A woman reads over Builders of Hope’s gentrification definitions and maps at the launch of the nonprofit’s “A Right to Stay” anti-displacement toolkit. Below: Toolkit author Stephanie Champion defines "displacement" at November's launch event. Photos courtesy of Builders of Hope

The pilot included $150,000 for property tax assistance, which Builders of Hope wants to grow to $1 million. Wesley-Rankin says they have 133 applications to review for the next round. 

Their intent is relief for legacy residents, who have lived in West Dallas at least 10 years or inherited such a home from an immediate family member. The goal is to not just cover year-over-year tax increases but put residents in a much better position to stick around.

So the first step is to ensure residents have a homestead exemption — verifying the home is their primary residence and making them eligible for discounted property tax payments. If they don’t have one, Wesley-Rankin helps them to apply, and says Legal Aid of Northwest Texas has been a great partner in walking residents through the process and checking applications. 

But DCAD requires a driver’s license or Texas ID in order to apply for a homestead exemption. A handful of applicants don’t have one, says Wesley-Rankin’s Natalie Breen, or they might be stuck in an heirship case, meaning their homes are in the estate of a deceased family member — another homestead exemption barrier.

Wesley-Rankin wants neighbors to apply no matter what their situation. Breen says Johana Miranda, who is handling all of the applications and inquiries, “is really serving as a case manager for neighbors with all kinds of needs — from utility help to financial literacy guidance to developing a will and estate plan." 

“We may not have all the answers," Breen says, “but the more we know of needs, the better we can connect people, plan future workshops and invite them.”

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