Dallas has not adopted a formal commercial or residential linkage fee tied to development square footage. Instead, Dallas City Code Chapter 51A offers density bonuses and the Mixed-Income Housing Development Bonus to incentivize affordable units in qualifying developments.
Unlike Boston, San Francisco, or Seattle, Dallas does not exact a per-square-foot linkage fee on commercial or market-rate residential projects to fund affordable housing. The Texas Local Government Code restricts impact fees to specific public infrastructure categories under Chapter 395, and broad linkage exactions face legal risk. Dallas instead promotes affordability through Chapter 51A development bonuses, the 2018 Comprehensive Housing Policy, and the Mixed-Income Housing Development Bonus program, which awards extra density or height in exchange for income-restricted units. The Dallas Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization Department also manages the Public Facility Corporation tool and federal HOME funds. None of these mechanisms function as a mandatory cash linkage fee against new development.
There is no linkage fee, so no monetary penalty exists for nonpayment. Developers electing the bonus must comply with covenant terms; breach can void the bonus entitlement and trigger permit revocation under Chapter 51A enforcement provisions.
Other ordinances people look up for this city. Green dot = verified primary-source excerpt.
Dallas, TX
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