About the Author
Chad Swiatecki is a 20-year journalist who relocated to Austin from his home state of Michigan in 2008. He most enjoys covering the intersection of arts, business and local/state politics. He has written for Rolling Stone, Spin, New York Daily News, Texas Monthly, Austin American-Statesman and many other regional and national outlets.
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Most Popular Stories
- APD won’t enforce SB 14 as Paxton and Trump further attack gender-affirming health care
- Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
- Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
- Austin ISD announces hiring freeze as budget deficit grows to $110 million
- Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
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Stories by Chad Swiatecki
ABOR report highlights striking disparities in housing affordability
A new report from one of the city’s leading real estate groups is bringing fresh, detailed data that shows how unaffordable housing has become for most local residents. Austin Board of Realtors’ “The Truth About Austin’s Missing Housing” uses industry…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 15, 2023
Idle lands: Austin joins cities looking to put real estate assets to best use
By next spring, the city is expected to have a detailed plan for how to turn its underutilized real estate assets into money-producers, in an attempt to add General Fund revenue and counteract state limits on property tax increases. Austin…
Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 14, 2023
Council approves $15M purchase of the Salvation Army shelter property
The former Salvation Army Downtown Shelter will continue to serve people without homes for years to come, following City Council’s decision to purchase the property for $15 million. The purchase includes the 130-bed shelter on Eighth Street and a retail…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 13, 2023
City prepares to spend first $15M to design caps for I-35 expansion
City Council has given early direction to staff to begin working on the financial planning and models for constructing a series of caps over portions of a reconstructed and lowered Interstate 35. At Tuesday’s work session, Council members heard a…
Roads • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 9, 2023
Music commissioners consider how to steer more grants toward working musicians
The city’s Music Commission may consider a proposal from a local advocacy group to designate a specific portion of grants from a new city grant program to be awarded to working musicians, who are increasingly finding it harder to afford…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 8, 2023
Three consultants enlisted to fix city's arts, music grant programs
Amid criticism over problems with the rollout of new grant programs for artists and musicians, the Economic Development Department has hired three outside consultants to study and recommend how to improve their performance. A memo released last week by Sylnovia…
Music & Entertainment • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 7, 2023
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Panelists debate potential housing supply impacts from HOME initiative
Advocates for more housing options in Austin see hope in recently passed changes in city land use policy intended to increase density, but still hope for more progress in increasing the overall supply of housing available for middle- and lower-income…
Housing • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 6, 2023
Council votes to eliminate off-street parking requirements
City Council voted Thursday to eliminate requirements for minimum amounts of off-street parking on new construction projects, marking a shift in the city’s push to increase the amount of housing stock while decreasing development costs. The amendments to the city’s…
Land Development Code • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 3, 2023
City considering capital projects, private development as sites for underground power lines
Austin Energy and various city departments are studying how to bury selected sections of overhead power lines underground to reduce the impact of extreme weather disasters. The burying of lines, which in many cases also serve equipment for private communications…
Energy • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 2, 2023
Council has its eyes set on preparing for 2024 total solar eclipse
With Austin in the direct path of a rare solar eclipse that will take place April 8, 2024, city departments will soon begin preparing for many thousands of astronomy tourists who are expected to travel to Central Texas to get…
City Council • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 1, 2023
Tuition drop at Concordia University seen as move to increase access, enrollment
In a bid to bolster enrollment that has slipped since the Covid-19 pandemic, Concordia University will reduce its published tuition cost by 40 percent beginning next school year, to $23,500. The change is a reduction as well as an acknowledgement…
Education • By Chad Swiatecki • Nov 1, 2023
Mobility Committee laments state law curtailing city's power over driverless car companies
City Council members heard last week about the ongoing public safety concerns that the emerging autonomous vehicle industry has created in Austin. Last week’s Mobility Committee meeting saw a presentation from staff from the Transportation and Public Works Department as…
