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Stories by Audrey McGlinchy, KUT
As rents across the country go up, Austin prices continue to fall
During the pandemic, Austin came to exemplify the story of housing across the country: Prices went through the roof. In 2021, the average monthly rent in the region rose 25 percent. Similar increases happened in cities in California and Arizona.…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Sep 11, 2024
Builders can now construct homes on less land, as Austin’s new minimum lot size goes into effect
A controversial rule that lowers the amount of land needed to build one house in Austin goes into effect Friday. Landowners wanting to build a home in some city neighborhoods will now need 1,800 square feet of land, about two-thirds…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Aug 16, 2024
Rents in Austin are down. But many renters still struggle to find housing they can afford.
When the rent payment on Leigh Vladyka’s Austin apartment comes out of his bank account, he tries to avoid looking. Each month, almost half of his take-home pay goes to rent. Nearly $1,600 gone from the $3,400 deposited. And there…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Aug 6, 2024
Chris Riley, former Austin City Council member and urbanist, dies at 60
Chris Riley, who served as a City Council member from 2009 to 2015, died Sunday after a battle with cancer. A native Austinite, Riley was known as a fierce advocate for bike infrastructure and denser housing at a time when…
City Council • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jul 30, 2024
Austin has a high rate of segregation between homeowners and renters, study finds
Renters and homeowners in the Austin metro live more sequestered from each other than in other U.S. cities, according to a study from Harvard University released last week. The Austin area has one of the highest levels of renter and homeowner…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jun 25, 2024
Austin approves additional property tax breaks for seniors and people with disabilities
City Council voted Thursday to raise the property tax exemption for homeowners who are 65 years and older and those with a disability. The move is an attempt to further curtail the amount of money residents pay taxes on. Homeowners…
City Council • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Jun 3, 2024
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Austin cuts minimum lot size by more than half, requiring less land to build a home
More homes, less lawn. This was the pitch made by Austin City Council members Friday when, for the first time in 80 years, they voted to lower the amount of land needed to build one house. The change allows property…
Land Development Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • May 17, 2024
Austin will vote on rules that impact housing. Here's what's on the table.
This explainer was originally published April 10. It has been updated ahead of City Council’s vote. How do you retrofit a city that never planned for a population of nearly 1 million or for an extensive public transit system? Should…
Land Development Code • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • May 16, 2024
Democrat-backed candidates sweep first Travis County appraisal election
Three candidates backed by the local Democratic Party won seats to the Travis Central Appraisal District’s board of directors, who help manage property appraisals. Jett Hanna, Shenghao “Daniel” Wang and Dick Lavine soundly defeated three others backed by the local…
Elections • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • May 6, 2024
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…
Housing • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Apr 19, 2024
For the first time in 20 years, more people are leaving Travis County than moving in
Lee esta historia en español Between July 2022 and July 2023, roughly 2,500 more people moved out of Travis County than moved in. This figure, which comes out of population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau last week, marks…
Austin • By Audrey McGlinchy, KUT • Mar 20, 2024
Austin apartments boomed and rents went down. Now, some builders are dismantling the cranes.
Ben Schwertner won’t pay next month’s rent. The 28-year-old from Lubbock isn’t forgoing payment out of protest or because he can’t afford it. He’s not paying because he doesn’t have to. When Schwertner signed a lease for a one-bedroom apartment…
