Dallas voters say no to new tax meant for homeless shelter and housing

Voters in Dallas County rejected Proposition A on Wednesday, blocking a property tax increase designed to raise roughly $100 million annually for homelessness services.

The measure failed by a narrow margin, receiving 48.13% of the vote in favor and 51.87% against. County officials had estimated the tax would add about $60 to the annual bill for the average homeowner. The funds were earmarked for emergency shelter, supportive housing, and treatment for mental health and substance use disorders.

The path to this vote began with a push to secure stable funding for the Street to Home initiative. That program has been moving individuals from the streets into permanent housing using existing resources. However, those funds are projected to be exhausted in January, which would leave the last group of people currently served without a dedicated funding stream for housing placement.

Election officials noted that approximately 80,000 voters who cast ballots in the election did not vote on Proposition A. Sarah Kahn, CEO of Housing Forward, cited this high non-participation as a challenge for proponents who sought to explain the proposal to a large and diverse electorate.

Kahn suggested that cost-of-living concerns may have influenced the result. She stated that while the defeat is disappointing, the organization will continue its operations. The coalition plans to work with local and state governments, businesses, and philanthropic groups to identify new, sustainable funding sources.

"The election's over, but obviously the work isn't," Kahn said. "Our commitment to ensuring that people are not forced to live on our streets has not changed. And look, there's a lot of families in crisis and individuals and veterans and young people that are counting on us. And so what comes next is we're going to continue to bring public and private partners together to solve this problem and find a path forward for sustainable funding."

Kahn emphasized that the county already incurs public costs related to homelessness through hospitalizations and jail cycles. She argued that the rejected tax was an attempt to address these expenses through a more direct funding model rather than relying on emergency services.

"I think we've heard that residents know they're already paying for this, just in the most expensive way possible, as people cycle in and out of jail and hospitals," Kahn said.

County Judge Clay Jenkins, who supported placing the measure on the ballot, issued a statement acknowledging the result. He described the proposal as an investment in public safety and the local economy. Jenkins said his commitment to the county remains unchanged despite the vote.

"I believe it was a chance to make our neighborhoods safer, strengthen our economy, and improve quality of life for all Dallas County residents," Jenkins said. "While this isn't the outcome I hoped for, my commitment to building a safer, stronger Dallas County remains unchanged."

Housing Forward maintains a public dashboard that tracks the region's progress in moving people into housing. The organization said it will continue to use this data to guide its future partnerships and funding efforts as it moves past the election.