In This House, it’s about
more than just four walls.
In this house, it is about the people inside them. In This House works to increase access to affordable housing and helps families access resources to help them thrive.
Stable housing isn’t a luxury
Traditional housing tools often overlook a critical group – our teachers, nurses, police officers, and retail workers. These individuals earn too much for traditional assistance but not enough to afford a modest home near their work.
At In This House, we are closing that gap. We believe that when the Missing Middle has a place to call home, the entire community gains stability, diversity, and economic strength.
Dallas faces a 46,000-unit shortage of rental homes affordable to the very low-income households earning 50% or less of the Area Median Income (AMI).
How we drive systemic change
Strategic Development
We facilitate collaboration with private developers and local municipalities to create high-quality, affordable, multi-family housing in areas rich with opportunity. We work on tax-credit developments and mixed-income projects, navigating both the political landscape and community support needed to get projects built.
Advocacy & Education
We engage in policy discussion and community education to fight the stigma surrounding affordable housing. We work with political and community leaders to reshape the conversation and overcome the effects of NIMBY attitudes and outdated policies that make building quality, affordable housing so difficult.
Residential Services
We coordinate tailored resources that empower residents to thrive long-term. Depending on community needs, we offer financial empowerment courses, job advancement seminars, homebuyer classes, computer skills training, scholarships for after-school care, nutrition courses, health fairs, and community events.
Founded on a Mission to Matter
After a decade as a trial attorney, Leslie Chaggaris Vruggink saw a community crisis that required more than just legal advocacy. It required action. In 2020, she launched In This House to meet the urgent demand for attainable housing for working families.