The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has opened a federal investigation into the developers behind a proposed residential project linked to a mosque in North Texas.

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The probe, led by HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, is examining whether EPIC Real Properties, Inc., and Community Capital Partners, LP,  violated the Fair Housing Act through religious and national origin discrimination as part of their “The Meadow” project,  previously referred to as “EPIC City” and named after the East Plano Islamic Center.

The investigation was triggered by a detailed complaint filed by the Texas Workforce Commission, which alleged a large-scale pattern of religious discriminatory conduct.

According to the allegations, the project’s marketing materials promoted the development as an exclusively “Muslim community” and described it as “the epicenter of Islam in America.” The complaint also pointed to financial arrangements that would have required lot owners to subsidize the construction of a mosque and Islamic educational centers, as well as a two-tier lottery system for lot sales that gave priority access to certain buyers.

“It is deeply concerning the East Plano Islamic Center may have violated the Fair Housing Act and participated in religious discrimination,” HUD Secretary and former Prestonwood Baptist Church associate pastor Scott Turner said in a statement.

“As HUD Secretary, I will not stand for illegal religious or national origin discrimination in housing and will ensure that this matter receives a thorough investigation so that this community is open to all Texans.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — who directed the Texas Workforce Commission in 2025 to investigate EPIC and any affiliated entities for violations of the Texas Fair Housing Act — expressed strong support for the federal action Friday and tied it to earlier state-level scrutiny.

“I support HUD Secretary Scott Turner’s efforts to hold EPIC and its affiliates accountable to our anti-discrimination laws,” said Abbott in a statement Friday. “Together, we will hold anyone involved in violating the law accountable. The Meadow will remain just that — an empty field.”

The governor noted a series of ongoing state enforcement actions against the EPIC project and its affiliates, including the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requiring the developers to acknowledge they lacked authority to begin any construction or development, the Texas State Securities Board referring its findings to the attorney general for possible securities law violations, the Texas Funeral Service Commission issuing a cease-and-desist letter to halt alleged illegal funeral service operations, and the Texas Rangers investigating potential criminal activities.

The proposed 402-acre development, located in Collin and Hunt counties roughly 40 miles northeast of downtown Dallas, was originally planned to feature more than 1,000 homes along with a mosque, a K-12 faith-based school, apartments, retail shops, medical clinics, a community college, elderly and assisted living facilities, and sports fields. Although traffic, flood, and environmental studies have been completed, the project remains in the early planning phase with no development permits yet submitted.

This latest federal inquiry follows a separate civil rights investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice that concluded in June 2025 without any charges or lawsuits. In its closure letter, the DOJ noted that the developers had affirmed the community would be open to all residents and intended to revise marketing materials to align with Fair Housing Act obligations.

The legal back-and-forth comes amid a rebrand of the proposed development, which last month saw developers submit a formal name change for the project, now called The Meadow.

In addition to the name change, CCP’s original EPIC City website, once touting a “vibrant and inclusive community that serves the evolving needs of the Muslim community” and a “safe and purpose-built environment that fosters growth, connection, and prosperity for all who call EPIC City home,” now displays only a message reading, “New website coming soon!” alongside an email address.

Dan Cogdell, a Houston-based lawyer representing the development, previously told Spectrum News that they plan to defend the development in court.

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This article was originally published at The Christian Post. Photo Credit: USDA photo by Christophe Paul.