Back in April, when Mayor Steve Adler made his first state of the city address, he noted a troubling statistic: Austin is the most economically segregated big city in the United States. In particular, that statistic applies to housing, with nearly 50,000 families unable to afford even $500 a month in rent. As part of […]
City of Austin Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department
This city department provides housing and community development services for Austinites. To that end, they administer programs, provide grant services, and work with non-profit and agencies to provide housing for eligible residents. The department also provides small business development services.
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 inCity Council, Housing
Zimmerman struggles to stop subsidized housing
There are only two subsidized housing developments in City Council Member Don Zimmerman’s District 6, as compared to 47 in Council Member Ora Houston’s District 1 and 46 in Council Member Pio Renteria’s District 3, according to data compiled by the group Housing Works Austin. But Zimmerman would like to make sure there is not […]
Posted inCity Hall, Development
Scheduling delays affordable housing approval
An affordable housing project in North Austin will have to wait a little longer for official city approval. Though the Austin Housing Finance Corporation board of directors seemed poised to approve the project last Thursday, a procedural absurdity held up that approval for another month. At the most recent City Council meeting, Council Member Laura […]
Posted inUncategorized
Commissioners consider joining city study of affordable housing
A request to join with the City of Austin in a housing market study turned into a lengthy and sometimes philosophical discussion of affordable housing at Travis County Commissioners Court on Tuesday. The item was an interlocal agreement with the city’s Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department to contribute up to $50,000 towards a […]
Posted inResources
Changes likely coming for Water Utility impact fees
Members of the Austin City Council began their periodic review of a set of fees set by the Austin Water Utility for new development with a fair amount of skepticism. At last week’s work session, Mayor Lee Leffingwell raised questions about a move – endorsed by the city’s Water and Wastewater Commission, but not […]