[Excerpts]

You have to wonder what would become of the residents of Kendall Villas without advocates like Dallas Area Interfaith pressing the city on their behalf.

....city staffers were aware that many of Villanueva’s neighbors had concerns. A code compliance supervisor had talked to residents in April at the behest of Dallas Area Interfaith. The nonprofit said residents relayed stories about raw sewage leaking onto walkways, electric stoves sparking and mold in bathrooms. Based on their photos and video, and what I saw in person, I believe them.

DAI met again with city officials in May. The concerns persisted into June, when DAI hosted another meeting with city workers at Kendall Villas. A code compliance officer surveyed Villanueva’s collapsed ceiling, according to DAI representatives who were there.

DAI member and Kendall Villas resident Yazbeth Esquivel, 35, helped organize neighbors who had concerns. A handful of complaints trickled into 311 in May, and more than 30 came into the system at once in June....

[Photo Credit: Michael Hogue, Dallas Morning News]

Bad Landlords Make Dallas Housing Miserable. Why Can't City Crack Down?, Dallas Morning News [pdf]

¿Porqué Dallas Permite Que Propietarios Tengan Apartamentos en Malas Condición?, Dallas Morning News [pdf]

Leaking faucets, holes in the floor, and rats running across children's feet at night.  An apartment manager refusing to start repairs without proof of US citizenship.  These are just some of the conditions that leaders of Bachman Lake apartments, like Iris Romo and Ericka Ventura, unearthed in a neighborhood conversation campaign.

When tenant leaders at Lumin Bachman Lake Community School began to share these stories, the city didn't take them seriously.  However, DAI leaders knew that this was unacceptable.  After all, they had been instrumental in the development of housing standards that were now being violated. In 2016, DAI had compelled the City of Dallas to impose these standards, and the tenant leaders had been a key part of that effort.

They were not going to be ignored again.  On April 18, when a group of north Dallas congregations -- including Temple Shalom, King of Glory, Temple Emanu-El, and Christian Chapel CME -- organized a DAI accountability session. In front of seven city council candidates, Iris Romo from Lumin Bachman Lake Community School shared the stories of the Bachman Lake residents. The candidates were shocked and committed to working with DAI to address the issue.

Councilwoman Janie Schultz followed through on her commitment and reached out to Councilman Omar Narvaez, who had previously refused to meet with DAI. After hearing from Councilwoman Schultz, Councilman Narvaez invited DAI to a meeting with city staff to discuss the issue. City staff finally began to take the issue seriously and have taken concrete steps to clean up the apartments in Bachman Lake.

There is still a long way to go, but the residents of Bachman Lake are on the right path to getting the safe and healthy homes they deserve.

Some Say Dallas Landlords Use This City Policy to Game the System, Dallas Morning News [pdf] 

Bachman Lake Tenants Need Support, Dallas Morning News [pdf]

Inquilinos de Dallas Denuncian Malas Condiciones en Viviendas, Telemundo Dallas

Dallas Tenants Counter ‘Unbearable’ Conditions, Dallas Morning News [pdf]

DAI tenant advocacy for improved conditions in low-income Bachman Lake apartment complexes continues to pay off, partly due to increased collaboration with bilingual housing code inspectors. Spanish speaking Dallas Area Interfaith leaders have been at the forefront of action, including meetings with City officials and educational meetings with residents.

[Excerpt]

Reporting bad landlords who won’t fix apartments to maintain adequate living conditions should be easier for Dallas tenants, especially for those who are the most vulnerable because of their economic or immigration status.

It has been a little over a month since this newspaper reported the hazardous conditions endured by Bachman Lake-area tenants, including moldy walls, pest infestations and leaky roofs. This is not a case of “they get what they pay for.” Residents said they are paying up to $1,400 a month, close to the rent average in the Dallas area.

For these tenants, most of them with limited English skills, navigating the city’s bureaucracy to report code violations has been frustrating. They said they rarely see results. “We are not living for free; we are paying,” Bachman Lake resident [and Dallas Area Interfaith leader] Claudia Cruz, 38, told us.

Bachman Lake Tenants Need Support, Dallas Morning News [pdf]

Inquilinos de Dallas Denuncian Malas Condiciones en Viviendas, Telemundo Dallas