- Dallas City Council approved a record $6B budget that includes $500K for eviction legal services, funded by shifting money originally allocated to street outreach.
- City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert called 2027 a bridge year, and the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center, which handled about 8,300 cases in 12 months through June, faces a $1M gap.
- Dallas County eviction filings reached about 50,000 in 2024, per Child Poverty Action Lab, and landlords and tenant advocates disagree on whether legal aid or rental assistance is the better fix.
Dallas City Council approved a record $6B budget that includes $500K for eviction defense, but officials signaled the city may not fund it again, according to The Dallas Morning News. The money was moved from street outreach funding in a September revision proposed by the city manager.
Support for tenants’ legal representation has changed several times in recent years.
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A Funding Saga
Pandemic-era federal funds for eviction help ran out, and the Texas Rent Relief Program ended in 2023. Dallas asked groups in February to propose a $1M eviction defense program, but the council rejected the proposals in June after staff said stronger performance standards were needed.
Mark Melton of the Dallas Eviction Advocacy Center said the city later told his group it would receive $500K, half of what he expected. The center’s budget is about $2.5M, and he said the loss left a $1M hole and could force layoffs.
Where the $500K Comes From
The September revision shifted $500K from money allocated above the roughly $700K street outreach contract, which stays funded. Council members also weighed using election or Flock camera funds, but approved only the city manager’s version.
City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert said she would not commit to an ongoing expense and wants 2027 treated as a bridge year, with the work eventually handled outside the city.
The Policy Debate
The Apartment Association of Greater Dallas’ Jason Simon said most tenants facing eviction need rent money, not a lawyer, and that rental assistance keeps people housed while legal defense delays the process. Melton said the two approaches work best together.
Dallas County eviction filings reached about 50,000 in 2024, their highest level, per Child Poverty Action Lab.
Why It Matters
For multifamily owners, eviction defense can lengthen the time to regain possession, while tenant advocates argue it keeps households housed. The center handled about 8,300 cases in the 12 months through June, and Dallas County gave it $1M last year with that contract up for renewal soon.
What’s Next
The city could issue a new request for proposals for the $500K. Watch whether the county renews its contract and whether future budget talks revisit the funding.
