Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity, once one of the top-producing affiliates in the country, is now struggling in its mission to provide homes for low-income families, a Dallas Morning News investigation found. And in recent years, confusion -- on the part of both the nonprofit and the city of Dallas -- has delayed Habitat’s ability to build homes.

Our investigation found:

• After Habitat missed deadlines to build on lots it bought at low cost from the city, the city told the nonprofit it would take some back. That didn’t always happen, and the city later told Habitat it did, in fact, have to build on the city-purchased lots.
• Habitat relied on city assurances rather than property records to determine what it owned. For instance, the city told Habitat the nonprofit still owned a lot in West Dallas behind Habitat’s headquarters. Even though publicly available records proved the city had reclaimed it, Habitat took the city at its word and spent $7,000 on a permit to build there. The lot is still vacant.
• Habitat mistakenly thought some of the land it bought from the city was zoned for commercial, instead of residential, use. The city agreed and said it would take the lots back; the lots still sit empty.

Presented with The News’ findings, both Habitat and the city acknowledged mistakes. The city told The News it has updated the software it uses to keep track of building deadlines and ownership.

Read our full investigation here.