• Reports

2024 Evictions in Dallas County: Understanding Filings, Outcomes, and Displacement

Since 2020, CPAL has reported eviction filing data for Dallas County in briefs and presentations and through the North Texas Eviction Project.

For the first time, we are also able to report on the lifecycle of eviction cases in Dallas County, from the initial eviction filing to judgment to execution of the writ of possession. Better understanding the lifecycle of eviction proceedings is important as we seek opportunities to help tenants remain stably housed. Ensuring tenants physically receive their citation and know to appear in court, for example, is a necessary first step in hearing the complete facts of the case: if a tenant does not know an eviction has been filed against them, then they will not have an opportunity to share their side of the story and will lose their case by default.

Exploring the lifecycle of eviction cases by Justice of the Peace court also illustrates the uneven experience of tenants in eviction proceedings across Dallas County. How tenants are notified of the eviction filing, how quickly their case moves, and how often tenants prevail all vary widely, depending on the assigned court.

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  • An Underutilized Housing Affordability Tool: Homestead Exemptions

    CPAL examines homestead exemption access in Dallas County — who’s claiming, who isn’t, and how much money eligible homeowners could realize if they claimed this benefit.

    • ~57K residential properties in Dallas County may be eligible for the homestead exemption but have not yet claimed it, for an estimated total benefit of ~$310M.
    • ~40K properties in low-income and very low-income census tracts in Dallas County may be eligible for the homestead exemption but have not yet claimed it, for an estimated total benefit of ~$200M, or ~$5,000 per household.
    • While an estimated 95% of eligible households in high-income census tracts claim their homestead exemption, only 81% of households in very low-income census tracts claim their homestead exemption.
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  • 2025 Rental Housing Needs Assessment

    The 2025 Rental Housing Needs Assessment establishes a shared fact base on rental affordability, supply, and opportunity in the City of Dallas.

    • Dallas faces a 46,000-unit shortage of rental homes affordable to very low-income households earning ≤50% of Area Median Income (AMI). Since CPAL first published this report in 2023, the gap has grown by more than 12,000 units.
    • Between 2021 and 2023, the number of rental units priced below $1,000 per month was cut in half — a loss of over 50,000 units. Today, 90% of affordable units for low-income renters are unsubsidized and vulnerable to market pressures.
    • Half of all renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, including 75% of single parents with children and 65% of senior renters. Extremely low-income renters spend, on average, 78% of their income on housing, leaving little room for other necessities.
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  • Housing Remediation as an Effective Intervention for Pediatric Asthma

    This issue-brief describes the impacts of asthma in Dallas and how home repair can better asthma outcomes, increase economic mobility, and improve the quality of life for children across Dallas.

    • Asthma is a leading cause of school absenteeism and is costly. In 2023, Dallas County children experienced 1,036 asthma inpatient hospital visits. The combined costs of these visits were ~$10.3M, for an average cost of $9,966 per visit. 
    • The Green and Healthy Homes Initiative estimates that 40% of all asthma episodes are caused by preventable home-based asthma allergens, like dust, pests, and mold.
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