Rural Texans Brace For Changes In Zoning Protest Rules

It may be harder to keep rural areas rural in Texas.

The New Law

In September, a new law will go into effect in Texas that will make it more difficult for Texans to formally protest certain types of residential developments. House Bill 24 will limit the opportunities residents have to force a supermajority vote to block a zoning change.

How It Will Work

Texas House Bill 24 will require a higher protest threshold (60% of property owners) to trigger a supermajority vote (three-fourths) to block a change. It will also require a simple majority vote to override a protest. At the same time, the bill will do more to make residents aware of proposed zoning changes by requiring posts in local newspapers and online, and public notice signs on affected properties.

Who Benefits the Most?

Rural residents are not the priority of this bill. The legislation’s goal is to limit the power of small groups of property owners to block zoning changes. Over the past twenty years, the number of developers backed by hedge funds has increased dramatically and therein lies the problem.

Why Rural Residents Oppose Development

Rural residents do not oppose growth; however, they do have issues with destroying the Texas countryside. Many rural areas do not have the infrastructure in place to block big companies with big bank accounts. Some residents are unhappy with developers that chop up large chunks of land and do not follow through on the project. House Bill 24 will take effect Sept. 1.

Largest Homebuilders in the United States

As of 2024, the following homebuilders were ranked as the largest homebuilders in the nation:

D.R. Horton

Lennar
PulteGroup
Toll Brothers
NVR