BiGAUSTIN, the Black-led nonprofit group that has provided microlending, business training and workforce assistance for nearly 30 years, has announced plans to construct a massive new community resource center and affordable housing community in a partnership with Banc of America Community Development Company. Those two $65 million projects, located in Northeast Austin on East Braker […]
affordable housing
This general term refers to housing that is affordable to Austinites, with or without subsidy.
Posted inBonds & Propositions
Real estate leaders put affordable housing bond under the lights
In summarizing the city’s many efforts and successes to preserve and create more affordable housing, Rosie Truelove offered a simple summary of what’s going on in one of the hottest real estate markets in the country. Speaking at last week’s Urban Land Institute Austin breakfast panel that looked at the $350 million affordable housing proposal […]
Posted inHousing
Study finds middle-income housing fund outperforms high-dollar real estate
An Austin investment fund created to support and stabilize middle-income rental housing has been verified as an attractive and viable investment by researchers from two Texas universities. Affordable Central Texas, which began acquiring middle-income rental communities in late 2018, has been found to have a higher return (9.4 percent) and lower risk (a spread of […]
Posted inHousing
$1,700, $2,900, $3,200 a month? What’s the real cost of rent in Austin?
The rent in Austin is too damn high. But how high? Recently, Axios published data showing the median rent in Austin is a whopping $2,930 per month. (That includes rental homes of all sizes.) Another report from Bloomberg published in July, and which cites data from Rent.com, says a one-bedroom in Austin goes for $3,257 a month. […]
Posted inDevelopment
Council OKs staff to negotiate over HealthSouth contract
Last week, City Council directed city staff to move forward with negotiations with Aspen Heights Partners, the NHP Foundation and Capital A Housing on redeveloping the HealthSouth site at 12th Street and Red River. But it wasn’t a simple vote: Council Member Kathie Tovo and Mayor Steve Adler added some amendments to the staff plan, although […]
Posted inHousing
City falls further behind on affordable housing goals
The city continues to fall behind on its affordable housing goals, according to a report from nonprofit HousingWorks Austin. In 2021, nine out of 10 Council districts failed to achieve district-based affordable housing production goals, and seven out of 10 did not even meet half of their goals. Only District 4, which has the lowest […]
Posted inPlanning
Creative spaces, affordable homes possible for two city-owned East Austin sites
The city’s Housing and Planning Department has identified parts of city-owned parcels that could incorporate creative spaces and affordable housing for artists, with development plans likely to be handled by the Austin Economic Development Corporation. Mandy De Mayo, deputy director of the housing department, shared some basic details of the two projects at Monday’s Arts […]
Posted inHousing
Austin ISD is considering turning two properties into teacher and staff housing
Austin ISD is considering turning two of its properties into housing that teachers and other staff could afford as rising housing costs make it harder to retain and recruit employees. District officials have been holding public meetings on proposals for the Anita Ferrales Coy Facility in East Austin, the former Rosedale School in Central Austin, […]
Posted inDevelopment
Residents helping to shape final details of Home Depot redevelopment
With the city still working to finalize a master development agreement for the redevelopment of the former Home Depot property in the St. Johns neighborhood, residents will have more opportunities beginning this week to weigh in on the final plans for the tract. A series of community discussions are on tap for those interested in […]
Posted inHousing
Mobile home park residents facing eviction in South Austin can stay a bit longer, judge rules
Roughly a dozen families living at a mobile home park in South Austin who received 60-day notices to leave will be able to stay for the time being after a Travis County judge issued a temporary restraining order Monday. Residents of the Congress Mobile Home Park off South Congress Avenue were told this summer their leases […]
Posted inHousing
Public workers are being priced out of the city. Affordable housing can’t help many of them.
As wages for public sector workers fail to keep pace with housing prices, some city employees have turned to income-restricted housing for relief. But because finding an affordable home and meeting the qualifications isn’t always easy, many workers are forced to pay unaffordable market-rate rents or leave the city entirely. Jessica Simmons has been a […]
Posted inHousing
Neighbors protested housing for homeless Austinites. Then, they (sort of) changed their stance.
Austin’s Planning Commission meets every other Tuesday in the cavernous chambers of City Hall. Members assemble virtually and in person to hear requests and pleas from the public about what should be built in the city. Plot by plot, these volunteers vote yea or nay to changes that will shape Austin. On a night in […]