In Texas, the gap between the demand for affordable housing and the available supply continues to widen. With the state facing a dire shortage of 679,000 rental homes affordable for its poorest renters, the need for strategic solutions has never been more urgent. According to a recent report by the National Low-Income Housing Coalition, Texas ranks as one of the states with the least hospitable rental markets for extremely low-income households. While the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) recently allocated nearly $80 million in low-income housing tax credits to develop and rehabilitate 4,024 units, this necessary step barely scratches the surface of the need.

MapDash includes hundreds of ready-to-use datasets that can be layered together to assess real estate market opportunity and affordable housing need.

For many real estate developers looking to build more affordable housing options in Texas, a major challenge lies in identifying the right locations. Choosing where to invest in an affordable housing project involves synthesizing large amounts of complex data, including household income, population growth and projections, current housing options, zoning laws, and census tracts that qualify for low-income housing tax credits (LIHTC). Fortunately, location intelligence platforms like MapDash™ make it easy to access, analyze, and share critical market information so developers can make informed, data-driven decisions.

Streamlining site selection

MapDash is a powerful tool for those involved in the planning, development, and management of affordable housing. This turnkey location intelligence platform is preconfigured with hundreds of authoritative data layers to provide comprehensive insights into demographic trends, parcel boundaries, zoning information, and market dynamics, critical for identifying potential sites for new affordable housing developments. By layering highly detailed datasets onto a map, real estate professionals can sift through potential sites and select the best one for their particular development project.

With MapDash, developers can instantly generate compelling reports that showcase critical data points to stakeholders and foster project support.

Enhancing project planning and community impact analysis

With the acute shortage of affordable homes, MapDash plays a crucial role in analyzing the potential impact of new housing developments. Leveraging MapDash’s simple-to-use location analytics tools, developers can ensure that new projects not only address the housing shortage, but also are strategically placed to benefit those most in need. These tools enable decision-makers to dive deeper into MapDash’s data layers, allowing for an assessment of community needs, alignment with local economic environments, and compliance with regulatory frameworks.

Facilitating stakeholder engagement and consensus building

When it comes to housing development, communication is key. MapDash makes it easy to create visual and informative reports that can be pivotal in fostering consensus among various stakeholders, including government bodies, developers, and community groups. By presenting data in an intuitive map-based infographic format, MapDash helps build public support and facilitates more informed decision-making, ensuring that projects move forward smoothly and efficiently.

Supporting applications for funding and credits

MapDash even includes LIHTC-specific data layers so developers can understand affordable housing development opportunity with ease.

For entities applying for housing credits like those distributed by TDHCA, MapDash provides a robust framework to support their applications. Not only does MapDash include LIHTC-specific data layers that can otherwise be difficult to source, it helps real estate professionals add real-world context to funding and credit opportunities. Developers can use MapDash to present compelling, data-driven narratives that highlight the necessity and viability of their projects, demonstrating why their proposal will have the most positive impact on a community. This is particularly important in competitive funding environments where clear visualization and thorough analysis can set applications apart.

Navigating Texas’s affordable housing crisis with location intelligence

As Texas continues to struggle with a substantial shortage of affordable rental units, tools like MapDash are essential in strategically planning and deploying resources where they are most needed. With its ability to enhance site selection, project planning, stakeholder engagement, and funding applications, MapDash is more than just a tool—it's a part of the solution to Texas's affordable housing challenges.

For more information on how MapDash can assist in your efforts to develop affordable housing in Texas, get in touch with our team.