Some owners of affordable housing in the Mueller development have seen their homes’ appraised values double since 2013. One of those homeowners is Janeka Rector, whose home was appraised at $179,000 last year. Next year it will be appraised at more than $378,000. “The 10 percent cap (on appraisals) on my home is the only […]
affordable housing
This general term refers to housing that is affordable to Austinites, with or without subsidy.
Posted inDevelopment
Council may revamp affordable housing policy
City Council will pick up a proposal today that Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo hopes will lead to more on-site affordable housing in future developments throughout the city. Based on a discussion at a work session on Tuesday, however, it appears that Council will move slowly on the item. “I have been waiting for years […]
Posted inHousing
Committee zeros in on affordable housing
Lack of affordable housing, an issue that continued to plague Austin during the boom times of the last decade, was the main focus at the last Housing and Community Development Committee meeting. The city of Austin’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department said the city needs a minimum of 48,000 affordable housing units and that […]
Posted inHousing
HousingWorks breaks down Austin’s affordability
For the second year, HousingWorks Austin has taken a close look at the city’s household affordability crisis in each City Council District. The study has found some startling disparities. Perhaps the greatest contrast is the difference in distribution of subsidized housing between Austin’s eastern and western Council districts. Currently, Districts 1, 2 and 3 contain […]
Posted inTravis County
Affordable housing project loses momentum
A proposed affordable housing project in northern Travis County is facing stiffening political headwinds thanks to tenacious lobbying from neighbors whose efforts have brought county commissioners to the brink of yanking their support for the project. Acting in their capacity as the Travis County Housing Finance Corporation, the commissioners last Tuesday discussed backing out of […]
Posted inThe Code
Council poised to revisit density bonus programs
Mayor Pro Tem Kathie Tovo is moving forward with a proposal to take a closer look at the city’s density bonus programs and at whether it’s a good idea to eliminate the fee-in-lieu option that allows developers to pay into a fund to construct affordable housing rather than build affordable housing on the site of […]
Posted inHousing
RECA report on affordability blames city, neighbors
As the city struggles to provide development review services needed to ensure that its many regulations are being followed, the Real Estate Council of Austin reports that “Austin is steadily losing ground in its efforts to become a ‘beacon of sustainability, social equity, and economic opportunity’ as Imagine Austin envisioned. The necessities of life, especially […]
Posted inDevelopment, Housing
Affordable housing approved in East Austin
The board of commissioners for the Housing Authority of the City of Austin and its subsidiaries gave final public approval Thursday to a new affordable housing development in East Austin. Called the Reserve at Springdale, the development will be located at the intersection of Springdale Road and Rogge Lane. It will consist of a 292-unit […]
Posted inHousing
Making affordable housing plans for Austin
While most of the state focused on the meaning and aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court decision related to same-sex marriage, affordable housing advocates were riveted by a case brought by the Inclusive Communities Project of Dallas, which sued the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs over how the department decides to allocate tax […]
Posted inAustin
Council approves East Austin land trusts
Affordability was in fashion at last week’s City Council meeting. In the midst of talk about homestead exemptions and homestead preservation districts, Council members also revisited another strategy the city has used to create affordable housing. And, as has been their practice since their election, they took a close look at the issue. Council members […]
Posted inHousing
Committee reacts to affordable housing study
A new study presented to the City Council Housing and Community Development Committee Wednesday prompted members to question how much the city should regulate rental practices in order to generate more affordable housing and to safeguard renters’ rights. Conducted by the Denver-based BBC Research & Consulting, the study looked at the barriers to fair housing […]
Posted inAustin
Affordable housing bans smoking, possibly truancy
Board commissioners with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin approved a motion Thursday that will change the leasing requirements for its public housing tenants. Now, if residents are caught smoking more than four times in non-designated areas, they will be subject to the eviction process, according to the commissioners’ unanimous decision at the regular […]