Dallas is at a tipping point. For thousands of working single mothers, the cost of stability has outpaced their ability to earn it. Families who work full-time are still one unexpected expense away from eviction and the numbers tell a sobering story.
Dallas currently faces a 39,900-unit shortage of affordable housing for families earning less than half the area’s median income, a gap projected to nearly double by 2035. Nearly half of all renters in the city are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income just to keep a roof over their heads. Rent has risen 46% since 2016, while wages have barely moved.
This growing affordability crisis has made Dallas one of the worst cities in the nation for low-income housing, with only 14 available units for every 100 extremely low-income families. As a result, 50,000 eviction filings were made in Dallas County in 2024, the highest on record, and 79% of renters with children are single parents, most of them women.
Even for those who avoid eviction, the struggle doesn’t end there. Childcare costs consume up to 29% of a single mother’s income, forcing many to rely on relatives or inconsistent care just to stay employed. And even when employed, Texas women earn only 83 cents on the dollar compared to men, leaving single mothers to stretch $39,000 in annual income to cover what often exceeds $60,000 in basic family expenses.
At Interfaith Family Services, we meet families at this breaking point and help them rebuild. Through our Family Empowerment Program, we provide transitional housing, rent assistance, career coaching, financial education, and on-site childcare so parents can achieve lasting independence.
Last year, 96% of adults in our program exited with full-time employment and 97% secured permanent housing, transforming poverty into progress and instability into independence.
The crisis is real, but so is the solution. With your support, we can continue to provide housing, help, and hope for families in crisis and ensure that working mothers never have to choose between keeping a roof over their heads and feeding their children.
