Raymond M.

Crawford
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August 25, 2016

Patrick L. Baris, Branch Chief Intake Branch
Fort Worth Regional Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity
Region IV
801 Cherry Street, Unit #45, Ste.2500
Fort Worth, Texas 76102
Subject: Fair Housing Inquiry #514966
Mr. Baris I am a Caucasian native and resident of Dallas, Texas.
My family has been in Dallas since 1950 and I feel that I have a
unique perspective regarding the segregation practices by the

City of Dallas. My partner and I currently live in the home my

parents built in 1956. We live in District 3, Oak Cliff.

Over the course of decades, the City of Dallas has implemented

housing, zoning and economic development policies that

encouraged higher end development to be constructed exclusively

north of Interstate 30 thereby causing the socio-economic

inequities that we see today. I, my family and friends have

watched this trend over the course of the past 50 years. We know
it to be true.

Currently, our property is worth less than those of similar size

north of Interstate 30. We do not have access to the same goods
and services that those who live north of Interstate 30. Our

schools have also been adversely affected by past and current

housing segregation policies of the City of Dallas. We have to

drive further to get the goods and services we need. These

inequities affect all parts of our lives in southern Dallas

24/7. There are many perceptions that continue to paint southern

Dallas as an unsafe place to live; that too many poor people

live there and that the schools are not worthy of any potential
residents child to attend. Some of this is based on rumor, and
some of this is based on fact. As a neighborhood president, and
member of an organization to support and promote Oak Cliff, I
and others work continually to dispel this perception. It is
challenging.

It is fact that new development follows rooftops. If lower

income housing is forced to one area of any city, then it is

fact that lower income development or a total lack of

development follows. This is the current state of southern

Dallas. The City of Dallas has supported lower income housing in

southern Dallas for so many decades that they find it difficult

today to market southern Dallas to potential developers for both

commercial and single family residential projects.

Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings growSouth project has shown to be

nothing more than a marketing effort to win votes for his

candidacy and specific city council members. With the advantage

of vast swaths of available land in southern Dallas, no new
commercial, residential, mixed use projects that reflect a

higher income level exists. They are either north of Interstate

30 or even in the northern suburbs. Southern Dallas has enough
poor people and the culprit is the City of Dallas Housing
policies.

Segregation is the basis for the 1970 landmark school

desegregation lawsuit, Tasby vs Estes of which the City of

Dallas and its school system still has not recovered, neither
have the neighborhoods in southern Dallas.

The Dallas Observer recently defined the Dallas housing issue on

August 17, 2016 with data showing current segregation results.
Article author Stephen Young wrote :

Even though vouchers used in other parts of the city are worth
considerably more, four of the top five

city council districts for housing vouchers are the four South Dallas
districts represented by AfricanAmerican council members. Thomas'
District 3, centered in South Oak Cliff is home to the most

families in the city using housing vouchers (4,568), despite having

some of the lowest average rents in
the city of Dallas.

In other parts of the city, like the 75201 and 75202 zip codes

downtown, there are no units available to

those seeking vouchers, according the DHA website, despite the fact
that many buildings downtown

have units with rents well under the maximum voucher amount.

You probably already know about the proliferation of loose dogs

that continue to run wild, attack and kill Dallas residents.

Southwest Center Mall in southern Dallas, once a great shopping

center for the middle class is on life support ever since the

City of Dallas allowed multifamily housing supported by vouchers

to be built around it. All of Dallas ills can be traced back to
the segregated policies held in place by the City of Dallas.

While I and others have attended numerous council meetings and

public forums in the past, I did not attend any council meeting
or briefing regarding the Blue Ridge housing development in
District 3 because I, nor my neighbors were informed by our
council member about this important topic.

While the city council began discussion regarding this new

housing development in November 2015, the city council voted to

approve these plans in May 2016 without any conversation or
input by area residents.
(Redaction)

The City of Dallas maintains that this project is funded by 2012

Bond money but considering the ongoing malfeasance within the

Housing Department, I would guess there is no verification. We

still wonder if the missing $27 million identified by City of
Dallas Auditor Craig Kinton was ever found.

In closing, the past sins of Dallas city fathers has become

more apparent than ever before, and will continue unless housing
policies are immediately addressed by current City of Dallas
leaders. We see no change. Should you have any further
questions, please contact me

Sincerely Raymond M. Crawford