• Reports

Role of Junk Fees in the Dallas Rental Housing Market

August 2024

VIEW REPORT

During summer 2024, CPAL began to explore the role of junk fees in the rental housing market in Dallas, Texas, with a specific focus on how common they are, how they impact affordability, and how they are disclosed to apartment-seekers.

In CPAL's sample of the 2024 rental housing market, junk fees were pervasive, made housing more expensive, and were poorly disclosed to renters. Junk fees increase monthly housing costs, make price comparison shopping more difficult, and undercut competition by incentivizing landlords to hide the true cost of an apartment.

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  • NEW RELEASE: (2024) Rental Housing Needs Assessment

    2024 Update of CPAL’s Rental Housing Needs Assessment analyzes the growing gap of rental housing supply and demand for low-income families.

    • As of 2022, Dallas had a 39,900 unit gap in affordable rental housing. The shortage of affordable housing units is projected to grow to 76,100 units by 2035, driven by an anticipated loss of 54,000 unrestricted affordable housing units.
    • Despite improvement over time in educational attainment and wages, 49% of all renters in the City of Dallas are housing cost burdened, and some renters are disproportionately affected, including Black renters, senior renters, and single parents with children.
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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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  • Housing Stability for School Success Toolkit

    This framework has been piloted with DISD since 2021-22 on two elementary campuses working with district administrators.

    • This toolkit was designed to equip school district staff to implement family-centered interventions for families that may be at risk of or currently experiencing a housing-related issue.
    • The toolkit includes open-source resources (e.g., family enrollment postcards) and data tools that can be adapted by local school districts and nonprofit organizations working with housing insecure families.
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