Communities Foundation of Texas Launches $50 Million Housing Initiative
The Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) has announced a five-year, $50 million commitment to invest in neighborhoods and increase housing access across North Texas. The effort is part of CFT’s broader strategic focus on building a thriving community.
CFT frames housing as a central challenge tied to health, wealth, living, and learning. The organization plans to align its efforts with the City of Dallas and other partners to help address the regional housing crisis and support long-term community well-being.
Housing Goals
CFT’s approach spans production, preservation, and partnerships & policy to both grow the housing supply and keep existing homes affordable and safe. Key elements include incubating innovative construction methods and delivering low-cost, recyclable capital through a Housing Impact Fund.
Early investments are already in motion, with more than $4 million in aligned grants and a new $5 million PRI loan and grant fund to accelerate projects while CFT raises additional capital. Initial awards include:
- Dallas Economic Development Corporation: $1.5M operating support over three years
- Downtown Dallas, Inc.: $1.5M for the Safe in the City initiative
- Greater Dallas Planning Council: $50K to build consensus-based housing recommendations
- Dallas Housing Coalition: $25K operating support
- LISC’s Dallas Housing Opportunity Fund: $500K for recyclable capital to produce rental units
- buildingcommunityWORKSHOP (bcWORKSHOP): $250K to advance modular construction
- TEOF / LoMaX project: $200K PRI for an innovative shipping-container housing development.
CFT also notes the establishment of the Dallas Community Land Trust as part of its preservation strategy.
Looking ahead, CFT plans to work alongside philanthropic peers such as the Muse, Meadows, and Rees-Jones foundations to co-fund housing solutions at greater scale.
Source: Communities Foundation of Texas