A report from the Child Poverty Action Lab has revealed that the supply of affordable apartments and rental houses in Dallas is decreasing. The number of rental units costing less than $1,000 per month has dropped from 98,000 to 47,000 over two years. The demand for these units is high, with nearly 60,000 households in Dallas earning $31,000 a year and paying about $750 monthly in rent and utilities, about 30% of their income. However, demand exceeds supply in this range. The report estimates that Dallas has a shortage of 46,000 rental units for households that make half of area median income. It suggests that increased property tax exemptions are not helping these families and that lawmakers may consider creating a housing trust fund to help build and preserve safe, decent housing for these families.