Texas Judge Pushes Back Against State Agency, Clears Path for Muslim-Centric 'EPIC City' Housing Project

A Texas judge just dealt a blow to the state’s heavy-handed attempts to block a Muslim-centered housing development near Josephine, Texas. The 201st District Court ordered the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) to comply with a 2025 settlement requiring the agency to approve fair housing policies submitted by Community Capital Partners, the group behind the planned community known as The Meadow, formerly EPIC City.

Community Capital Partners sued the TWC earlier this year after the agency stalled and failed to act on the agreed-upon fair housing policies. The court’s injunction, issued Tuesday, also denied the state’s request to dismiss the lawsuit, allowing the developers to move forward with their plans and resume public communications about the project.

“This ruling confirms what we have maintained from the beginning — that Community Capital Partners has been willing, ready, and committed to following Texas law at every step,” said Imran Chaudhary, president of Community Capital Partners. “We have done nothing wrong, and this decision reflects that.”

The TWC pushed back, calling the ruling “flawed” and claiming there is “substantial evidence” that the developers violated the Fair Housing Act. The agency said the development remains under federal investigation with HUD and announced plans to appeal.

The Meadow spans 402 acres across Collin and Hunt counties and promises more than 1,000 homes alongside a K-12 faith-based school, mosque, elderly living facilities, clinics, retail shops, and other community amenities. The project is spearheaded by members of the East Plano Islamic Center, one of North Texas’ largest mosques.

Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton have repeatedly targeted the project. Abbott ordered multiple state agencies to investigate, and Paxton filed two lawsuits aimed at halting the development. In a separate blow, a local utility district was temporarily barred from providing sewer services to the site, and Hunt County officials rejected the preliminary plat application.

Developers and their attorneys say the state’s actions are part of a “broader pattern” of discrimination against Muslim-led projects. “For months, state actors attempted to create the impression that this project was operating outside the law, when in reality we were doing exactly what was asked of us,” said civil rights attorney Eric Hudson. “A court made clear that the law applies to state agencies too.”

This legal win is a rare check against the ongoing state-level harassment of a community project that underscores the broader struggle for fair housing and religious freedom in Texas. The fight isn’t over, but for now, Community Capital Partners has a court ruling on their side to push back against politically motivated obstruction.