Sections

About Us

 
Make a Donation
Local • Independent • Essential News
 

The Austin Monitor thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Housing

Council pushes for ‘agrihood’ pilot program merging homes with farmland in East Austin

The city will target part of Northeast Austin as an area that could see more small farms mixed with affordable homes, in a nod to the “agrihood” movement to bring homes closer to agriculture. Last week, City Council approved a…

Council OKs restrictive covenant for Southwest Parkway apartments

The owners of 9.6 acres of undeveloped land at 8413 Southwest Parkway are moving forward with plans to build a total of 438 apartments, including 219 units available to households earning 60 percent of the median family income, as well…

With Austin office buildings 20 percent vacant, conversion to housing remains out of reach

Two years ago, with the office real estate market in Austin stuck at a 20 percent vacancy rate, Brad Stein took the first of two trips to other markets to see if some of the hundreds of thousands of empty…

Community Foundation unveils $15M fund for affordable, permanent supportive housing

Developers of affordable housing and permanent supportive housing units for unhoused people could soon receive financial assistance from a new Austin Community Foundation fund intended to fill gaps in the financing for those subsidized projects. Last week, the foundation announced…

City could push 'agrihood' combos of farmland, housing developments in East Austin

The city may soon take steps to promote the creation of “agrihood” developments in Northeast Austin, which would combine small community farms with housing. Proponents of the movement see the still-rare projects as an answer to Austin’s housing needs and…

Austin outlaws the construction of windowless bedrooms

Developers in Austin will have to provide some form of natural light in bedrooms after City Council members voted Thursday to amend the city’s building code. For the most part, Austin will accomplish this change by simply replacing one word…

Subscribe to our newsletter

Photo courtesy of city of Austin.

Marshalling Yard shelter could get $1M extension and stay open through March 2025

The city’s Marshalling Yard congregate shelter, which currently serves up to 300 people at a time, could receive an extension from City Council to stay open until next March. An item on today’s agenda would provide an additional $1 million…

City eyes code amendments to increase affordable housing for UT students

City Council members hope that a series of amendments to a planning tool can increase housing affordability and the quality of life for University of Texas students, with the possibility of bringing a much-needed grocery store to the West Campus…

Advocates for ending homelessness say rental assistance program doesn't go far enough

Tony Carter lives in a two-bedroom apartment in South Austin. He was placed there in February through a rapid rehousing program. Rapid rehousing programs in Austin provide up to 24 months of rental assistance and support services to people experiencing…

City looks to land banks as additional option to curb displacement

The city will explore using the takeover of tax-delinquent properties as one additional strategy for creating more affordable housing and remedying the displacement of longtime residents who are being priced out of Austin. As part of the consent agenda at…

County backs $7.2M SAFE Alliance housing in East Austin

On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court dedicated $7.2 million toward a supportive housing development called the Lancaster, a 60-unit complex that will provide respite for people experiencing homelessness and survivors of domestic and sexual violence.  The development is a…

Arguments to continue in lawsuit over deed restrictions

Although Travis County District Judge Madeleine Connor ruled in favor of homeowners fighting to keep a developer from building more than two houses per lot in their subdivision last week, that victory may be marred by further decisions in the…

Back to Top