Thousands of apartments going up thanks to new Texas housing laws. But resistance lingers in the suburbs. - The Texas Tribune

What the report says

The Texas Tribune reports that new Texas housing laws passed last year are beginning to unlock thousands of apartments and homes, while drawing continued opposition in several North Texas suburbs. A prominent example is Pepper Square, an aging retail center in North Dallas where owner Henry S. Miller Co. plans to redevelop the property with about 1,000 apartments and park space after years of neighborhood resistance and litigation.

The most consequential measure cited is Senate Bill 840, which lets owners of certain commercial properties — including offices, shopping centers and warehouses — convert sites into apartments or mixed-use projects without the same local zoning approvals previously required. A coalition that backed the law, including Texans for Reasonable Solutions, the American Enterprise Institute and Texas Appleseed, estimates it has enabled at least 8,400 apartments since taking effect Sept. 1. The Tribune also found multifamily permits rose in the 19 cities where the law loosened zoning rules, even as statewide permits declined.

Other new laws have had varying effects. One reducing minimum lot-size requirements in new subdivisions has allowed 2,800 homes to move forward in Dallas, Plano and El Paso, according to the coalition’s analysis. The Tribune says another law intended to make housing approvals easier for city councils has produced mixed results.

The dispute matters because Texas’ fast-growing metro areas face high housing costs and demand for more places to live. Supporters argue local restrictions have limited supply, while opponents often cite traffic, neighborhood character and building height. State leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, have asked lawmakers to continue studying housing affordability ahead of the next legislative session.