On this week’s Austin Monitor Radio, reporter Jack Craver talks with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin about projects in the works and the agency’s ongoing effort to serve an increasing population in need of housing. Listen in below as CEO and Vice President Sylvia Blanco and HACA’s resident liaison Tiffany Middleton tackle […]
Housing Authority of the City of Austin
Austin’s Housing Authority works to provide affordable housing to low-income families. The public agency also is tasked with assisting residents to become economically self-sufficient.
Posted inZoning
Despite road plans, Council OKs zoning
Council rejected recommendations of the city’s zoning and transportation staff and the Zoning and Platting Commission at Thursday’s meeting, granting on first reading a request for commercial and mixed-use zoning on a northeast Austin property at 9100 Brown Lane. The vote was 10-0, with Council Member Leslie Pool off the dais. The property owner, Justin […]
Posted inZoning
Zoning OK’d for affordable housing
With the recently released University of Texas gentrification study on their minds, City Council members on Thursday gave final approval for a zoning change that will allow construction of 258 apartments – including a few three-bedroom units – in North Central Austin. The developer will partner with the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, […]
Posted inHousing
HealthSouth site gets top spot in ULI affordable housing study
An analysis of some of the city’s most-prized parcels of land has found that the former HealthSouth property downtown would have the biggest impact on the local housing shortage if the property were converted to affordable housing. The new white paper from the Urban Land Institute of Austin looked at five parcels located throughout Austin […]
Posted inHousing
Affordability on the minds of housing experts gathered in Austin
Business leaders from throughout the real estate industry spent most of this week in Austin focused on solving the affordable housing shortage that is reaching crisis levels in Austin and most other major cities around the country. The draw for the roughly 1,000 visitors was the annual Texas Housing Conference, organized by the Texas Affiliation […]
Posted inHousing
Council approves compromise to redevelop and preserve Rosewood Courts
City Council voted Thursday to permanently preserve eight buildings that are a part of Rosewood Courts, a public housing development in East Austin that was built 80 years ago for African-Americans with funds from the newly created United States Housing Authority. Under the plan approved unanimously by Council, the exteriors of eight buildings along Chicon […]
Posted inHousing
Planning Commission moves Rosewood Courts case to Council
Voting against a request to postpone the case, the Planning Commission unanimously approved staff’s recommendation to grant a portion of east side public housing project Rosewood Courts historic zoning at its Mar. 13 meeting. Controversy has centered around whether all of the 1939 public housing buildings should be zoned historic or if only some of […]
Posted inPreservation
Rosewood Courts renovation gets initial approval from landmark commission
The Historic Landmark Commission is paving the way for a major renovation of Rosewood Courts. The public housing project in East Austin was the first in the country built for black residents. The commission previously recommended zoning the entire site as historic. On Monday, the commission changed that recommendation to apply to just eight buildings, […]
Posted inHousing
Council endorses new Chalmers Courts project
With the Council chambers full of cheering supporters, City Council on Thursday unanimously endorsed an award of low-income housing tax credits from the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for a multifamily development at East Fourth and Chicon streets to be called Pathways at Chalmers Courts East Apartments. It will replace the current Chalmers […]
Posted inHousing
Austin residents are beginning to move back into renovated public housing
Lisa Martinez walks around her newly renovated two-bedroom apartment at Manchaca Village, pointing out her favorite features: the blue accent wall in her living room, a new washer and dryer, and, best of all, a new dishwasher. It has made it much easier to clean up after her four kids. The 33-unit apartment complex in […]
Posted inHousing
Austin won’t reopen its housing voucher waitlist anytime soon
The federal housing choice voucher program, which used to be called Section 8, is aimed at helping low-income families meet their housing costs. Here in Austin, it’s one way the city is trying to meet the growing demand for deeply affordable housing. But concerns about federal funding shortfalls mean the program won’t be open to […]
Posted inHousing
Residents uneasy about Housing Authority’s plans to renovate public housing
The Housing Authority of the City of Austin is moving forward with a plan to renovate its public housing complexes, but some residents are concerned about where they will live during construction. Julie Ahmadi has lived in the Housing Authority’s Lakeside Apartments for about six years. A couple of months ago, she got a letter […]